Democrats in the South can win on public education if we stop playing defense

As a former school superintendent, state lawmaker and, most importantly, parent, I’ve seen both the extraordinary potential and the persistent failures of our public education system, particularly when it comes to equipping many of our Black, brown, and low-income students to excel in their careers and in life.

Fixing these failures is only made harder by right-wing politicians in Washington and beyond who are more focused on waging culture wars and dismantling our public schools than, for instance, addressing the fact that the majority of our nation’s eighth graders aren’t reading proficiently or performing well in math.

Making matters worse, while voters generally trust Democrats more than Republicans on the issue of education, the public’s enthusiasm for the Democratic Party is waning, just as a majority of Americans believe our public education system is headed in the wrong direction.

This is a critical moment for Democrats to offer voters a bold, clear vision for transforming public education. We must offer a proactive agenda for public education that combines a relentless focus on high student outcomes with an unyielding commitment to serving every student — and we’ll need strong leadership to make this vision real.

That’s why I have announced the launch of the Center for Strong Public Schools Action Fund. CSPS Action is a new home for courageous elected officials who want to use their center-left values to reimagine and transform public education for every child.

Focus on education policies that put students first

Now more than ever, states and communities are on the front lines of determining the future of public education. That’s why CSPS Action — and our partner, nonpartisan think tank Center for Strong Public Schools — will focus our work at the state level, in places like Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee and Texas, where both the threats to undermine public education and the opportunities to strengthen it are greatest.

Center for Strong Public Schools Action will focus on building political power to change public education by electing and supporting champions who will fight for all our students.

Meanwhile, our partner, Center for Strong Public Schools, a 501(c)(3), will elevate important policy research and connect elected officials with public education thought leaders to advance innovative, data-driven ideas that improve our public schools.

CSPS Action is building a network of elected officials who can learn from each other’s successes and push policies that put students first. That means lifting up our best teachers while addressing the hard truth that not every classroom is serving every child as well as it should. It means championing high-performing charter schools and other public education options.

It means demanding accountability in our systems so we know how students are truly performing and then using that information to close gaps. Most importantly, it means adults having high expectations for every student while putting resources where they’re needed most.

Public education is America’s great equalizer

Democrats and our center-left allies have everything we need to win on this issue: We understand how education is a gateway to personal and financial freedom, and we believe in fairness, opportunity and data-driven decision-making — not only because they’re morally right but also because they power student success.