Politico: ‘Go on offense’: Democrats set out political message on schools

American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten speaks to the audience at the annual convention of the American Federation of Teachers Friday, July 13, 2018 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. | Jeff Swensen/Getty Images Democrats are sharpening a political message on schools that they hope resonates with swing voters and

Poll: Families prioritize many issues over “curriculum transparency”

Keating Research finds that families are concerned about real education issues, not Republican talking points An education-focused poll released this week by highly reputable pollster Keating Research shows that Colorado families prioritize common-sense, student-focused issues over divisive, Republican-driven rhetoric and legislation in public education. Keating’s “Colorado K-12 Issues” asked respondents to weigh in on the

Not sure how the Colorado Caucus system works? We have all your answers.

When is Colorado’s Democratic Caucus? This year caucus will be held over five days from March 1-5 and will be held either in-person, virtually, or hybrid so allow for greater participation. Check the timeline for your county’s list of scheduled caucuses here. What is a caucus? Precinct caucuses are meetings of registered Democrats within a precinct—which

DFER Highlights: 2021 in Review

————————————————————– DFER TOPLINES ————————————————————– Strengthened Relationships with New Administration Both DFER and ERN were pleased by the confirmation of US Secretary of Education Dr. Miguel Cardona, and we have been proud to work with him—both in his previous role as Connecticut’s Commissioner of Education through our Connecticut chapter and post-appointment in his current office—to ensure

Setting the Record Straight: Public Charter Schools

Millions of parents choose a high-quality public charter school for their child, yet despite being an integral part of our public education system for three decades, there are still many misperceptions about what public charter schools are and are not. It’s time to set the record straight. You can learn more about public charter schools

Democratic Guide to Public Charter Schools, 3rd Edition

Public charter schools have a long history of bipartisan support and that includes, from their very beginnings, support from key Democrats and progressives. The relationship between Democrats and public charter schools, however, is currently a complicated one. On one hand, Democratic voters, especially voters of color, continue to rate public charter schools favorably in most

Duran & Miranda: Trauma of Trump Era on Immigrant Students Must Be Addressed to Ensure Future Success

By Crisanta Duran, NY State Director for DFER and former Colorado Speaker of the House, and Frankie Miranda, Hispanic Federation President and CEO. President Biden has promised a more humane approach to immigration, and Congress is taking up comprehensive immigration reform for the first time in more than a decade. At the beginning of what

Reimagining Voting in DC Through An Equity Lens

By Erika Harrell In the District of Columbia, we collectively rail against the disenfranchisement of DC residents in the Congress, and rightfully so. We do not have a right to vote on federal laws, yet we are governed by those laws and taxed to pay for them. Politics based on specious constitutional arguments have largely

New York Voters Need to be Educated on Ranked Choice Voting to Ensure Their Ballot Counts This Election

By Katherine Otilia Zapata, National Research Manager The 2021 NYC primary elections are rapidly approaching—and as an increasing number of individuals file for candidacy each day, it is on track to be the largest municipal race that not only this city, but this country has seen. But there is another factor that makes this election

Swearing in History: A Moment for A Movement

By Mike Bland National Director, Leaders of Color After four exhausting years of clawing our way toward the surface of decency—just to even get by—the time has finally come to install, as the crux of our national identity, the integrity that this country has continued to misplace. The inauguration of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris as