DFER CEO Jorge Elorza Responds to Vice President Harris’s AFT Address

Elorza Calls for Bold Educational Reforms and Expanded Public School Options to Drive Upward Mobility.

(New York, NY, July 26, 2024) — Today, Democrats for Education Reform’s CEO Jorge Elorza released the following statement in response to Vice President Kamala Harris’s speech at the AFT convention in Houston:

“Vice President Harris’s address at the AFT convention yesterday underscored the critical role of teachers and public schools in securing a brighter future for America’s students—a vision for the country mirrored in DFER’s mission. As families grapple with deep anxiety about their children’s economic futures, we know that a high-quality public education is crucial to fostering upward mobility and unlocking new opportunities.

Throughout her career, Vice President Harris has demonstrated an instinct for bold action, and now more than ever, there is a clear hunger for meaningful change in our education system. I urge VP Harris to lay out a bold education vision that centers the Department of Education as a key driver of her vision for the future. Americans are anxious about the future and there is no better investment than ensuring that every child has a top-notch education. 

To achieve this vision, Vice President Harris should set audacious goals and then focus intensely on “what works.” This includes accelerating the replication and scaling of innovative practices like the science of reading, personalized instruction, and data-driven decision-making. We must redefine the teaching profession to ensure educators have the resources and support they need to meet the diverse needs of their students. 

Vice President Harris deeply understands the necessity of reforming systems that fail to serve their constituents, particularly marginalized communities. From her personal experiences with school busing, she also recognizes the critical importance of providing communities with a diverse range of public school options, beyond the schools that they were historically redlined into. Parents want a broad range of high-quality options and we need to be the party that provides that to them.

We look forward to partnering with Vice President Harris to shape an ambitious education agenda that incentivizes innovation, commits relentlessly to quality, and expands access to public school options. Together, we can make education a powerful equalizer, ensuring that every student has the opportunity to succeed.”

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