ERNA Warns Republicans Over Impact of Education Disinvestments

Proposed Republican Budget Would Decimate Federal Funding to the Most Vulnerable Schools

NEW YORK, N.Y. (AUGUST 23, 2023) – Education Reform Now Advocacy (ERNA) announced a new campaign that raises concerns over the impact of Republican lawmakers’ proposed landmark disinvestment in public education.

The campaign, which targets constituents in the districts of 19 of the most vulnerable Republican members of Congress, highlights how the proposed $15 billion in cuts to Title I funding would devastate the highest need schools in their districts. The campaign calls on these members to reject their Party’s extremist budget and support critical funding for schools in their districts.

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“Republicans’ proposed cuts are a slap in the face to parents and teachers across our country—particularly for low-income families and families of color who already face the greatest barriers to opportunity,” said ERNA CEO Jorge Elorza. “Voters deserve to know just how extreme Republicans have become and how little they care about providing a high-quality public education to their children.”

If the House Republicans’ budget were to pass, it would slash local school budgets by millions of dollars.

RepresentativeDistrictProposed Funding Cuts to Highest Need Schools In District
Rep. Julia Letlow(LA-5)$57 million
Rep. David Schweikert(AZ-1)$50.9 million
Rep. John Duarte(CA-13)$46.9 million
Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer(OR-5)$42.1 million
Rep. David Valadao(CA-22)$39.6 million
Rep. Juan Ciscomani(AZ-6)$34.6 million
Rep. Brandon Williams(NY-22)$33.4 million
Rep. Ken Calvert(CA-41)$32.1 million
Rep. Mike Lawler(NY-17)$29 million
Rep. Don Bacon(NE-2)$26.9 million
Rep. Michelle Steel(CA-45)$26.6 million
Rep. Marc Molinaro(NY-19)$26.5 million
Rep. Mike Garcia(CA-27)$25.8 million
Rep. John James(MI-10)$24.1 million
Rep. Lauren Boebert(CO-3)$22.2 million
Rep. Jen Kiggans(VA-2)$21.8 million
Rep. Zach Nunn(IA-3)$21.1 million
Rep. Anthony D’Esposito(NY-4)$12.7 million
Rep. Thomas Kean Jr.(NJ-7)$8.7 million
Proposed Funding Cuts to Title I Programs

“At a time when so many of our students are still struggling to recover from pandemic related-learning loss, we should be investing in more innovative, evidence-based resources—like tutoring programs and summer learning—particularly for the students who need them most, not taking them away,” added Elorza. “This proposed budget caves to extremist politics and is far out of step with what American voters want.”

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About Education Reform Now Advocacy

Education Reform Now Advocacy is a national 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization that support legislative and policy advocacy work. It is a partner organization of Democrats for Education Reform.

DFER Poll Underscores Parent Demand for Public School Options

National Battle Over Education Provides Opportunities, Risks for Democrats

NEW YORK, N.Y. (May 8, 2023) — A new poll released today by Democrats for Education Reform (DFER) shows overwhelming support among voters—particularly Black and Latino voters and parents—for increased options in our public school system. Consistent with prior research, the polling indicates that Democrats who do not propose solutions beyond funding alone, risk alienating key elements of their base, and exacerbating a growing issue of trust on education policy.

The poll found that more than 70% of Black and Latino voters, Democrats, and voters who are parents held favorable views of public charter schools—with an overwhelming majority of Black (67%) and Hispanic (69%) parents seeing new ideas and public school choice options, coupled with more funding, as integral components to improving our nation’s education system. 

“At a time when so much is at stake politically, Democrats cannot afford to ignore voters of color and parents who so ardently want more school choice options,” said DFER CEO Jorge Elorza. “Voters of color prefer public options, but if Democrats do not wholeheartedly embrace public school choice as a party, we not only lose an opportunity to better serve students, but we risk losing Black and Latino voters who do not feel heard.” 

In encouraging news for Democrats, proposals to invest in public school options—which reflect the types of public school choice supported by many Democrats—outperform Republican proposals for disinvestment in our public education system 2:1 among Black voters. Notably, 67% of Black voters and 57% of Latino voters also said they preferred public school choices compared to private voucher programs.

“For the past 30 years, public charter schools have delivered exceptional results educating Black, Latino, and low-income kids throughout the country and they’ve shown that a great public school education is not reserved for only the affluent,” added Elorza. “Democratic mayors, governors, and school board members who are accountable to families have long supported public school choice options. It’s time for the rest of the Party to join us.”

The poll also found that:

  • 77% of parents viewed public charters favorably— including 80% of Black parents and 71% of Latino parents. 
  • Among Democrats, 73% said they viewed public charter schools favorably, preferring public options to private vouchers by a 40-percentage-point margin. Independent voters preferred public options to private vouchers by a 28-percentage-point margin. 
  • More than half of voters (56%) are also concerned by Republicans’ prioritization of censorship and banning books, rather than teaching students to read books.

This is the first poll of DFER’s new quarterly polling project, DFER EdTrends. The nationally representative poll was conducted by Emerson College Polling between April 17-19, 2023, and surveyed United States voters. Data was collected by contacting cell phones via SMS-to-web, email via a consumer list of emails, and an online panel. The sample size is n=1,000 with a credibility interval of +/- 3%. 

You can view the poll results here. Additional crosstabs available upon request.

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About Democrats for Education Reform 

Democrats for Education Reform (DFER) is a national political organization that supports elected Democrats and candidates for office who seek to expand policies and practices that increase educational equity for students of color and students from low-income backgrounds. It is a partner organization of Education Reform Now Advocacy, a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization that supports DFER’s legislative and policy advocacy work. www.dfer.org.

New Poll: NYC Democrats and Voters of Color Hold Favorable Views of Public Charters and Support Cap Raise

CONTACT: Victoria Fosdal, victoria@dfer.org

NEW YORK, N.Y. (Jan. 29, 2023) — A new poll released by Democrats for Education Reform New York (DFER NY) conducted by Morning Consult found New York City Democratic voters have a favorable view of public charter schools and strongly support raising the arbitrary cap on the number of public charters in the state by a wide margin. The poll found New Yorkers have a favorable view of charter schools by a 19-percentage point margin (46% favorable to 27% unfavorable) with all registered voters and by an even wider broader support among New Yorkers identifying as Democrats (49%-25%).

The results are comparable when asked about raising the charter cap. When asked:

“Do you support or oppose New York state increasing the cap on the number of public charter schools allowed to open in New York City?,”  

  • 51% of Democratic respondents support raising the cap, compared to 27% opposing it
  • That’s a 24 point margin.
  • 53%, a majority of Hispanic New Yorkers (+27) and 48% of Black New Yorkers also support a cap raise (+25) 
  • 64% of respondents who identify as Parents (+41) support a cap raise, as well.

Support for public charter schools in the poll continued to grow among Democratic voters (342 of the 600 voters) surveyed as they received more details and information about charters.

  • After messaging, 59% of Democratic voters had a favorable impression of public charter schools (+10 since initially asking), to 58% for Hispanic voters, 61% for Black voters and 70% for Parents.
  • After messaging, both positive and negative about charters. Support, among Democrats, for raising the cap increased to 56% (+5 from the initial ask), to 56% for Hispanic voters, and 61% for Black voters.
  • After messaging, both positive and negative about charters. Support, among Parents, for raising the cap increased to 68% (+4 from the initial ask)

“New Yorkers always want more choices, and this poll shows that includes more high quality choices in the public school system. For too long, families in some of the poorest communities have been denied the opportunity to select the best school for their families. Public charter schools ensure every family has high-quality options, and we look forward to working with leaders in Albany to lift the cap on public charters,” said DFER NY Executive Director Jacquelyn Martell.

“For far too many families in Brooklyn, they lack a quality public school to send their children. These results prove more New Yorkers want more choices and that includes public charter schools. We need to raise the cap to empower New York families,” said Brooklyn Assemblymember Brian Cunningham.

“The results from this poll mirror what I am hearing from the parents and families in my district: they want more choices and more high-quality public schools. That’s why I support having conversations on how we can bridge the gap and provide our students with a competitive education,” said Bronx Assemblymember George Alvarez.

You can view the full poll here. Crosstabs are available upon request.

Methodology 

This poll was conducted by Morning Consult between January 23-January 24, 2023, among a sample of 600 New York City Voters, 342 of whom identified as Democrats. The interviews were conducted online and weighted to gender, age, race, and education. Results from the full survey have a margin of error of +/-4% percentage points. The margin of error for Democrats is +/-5% percentage points.

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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 major polls.
  • Moreover, public charter schools are concentrated in communities represented, by and large, by Democrats at all levels of government and show their most dramatic positive results for students of color and those from low-income families, constituencies for whom Democrats have historically claimed to be champions.

On the other hand,

  • In recent years we’ve seen some Democratic leaders move to a more anti-charter stance. During the 2020 Democratic Presidential primary, Senators Bernie Sanders (D-VT) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) both called for policies that would end federal support for new public charter schools.
  • And in blue states from coast to coast, we’ve seen Democratic governors and state legislatures slow or freeze charter school expansion.

If Democratic lawmakers want to be the champions of public education excellence and equity, they need to do some serious soul searching on how they position themselves on public charter schools.

Charter schools, as we discuss in this guide, aren’t all created equal, and some models are better than others, so not all criticisms should be summarily dismissed. But the idea that charter schools are anathema to the idea of public education and that they should be defunded or unconditionally curtailed is misguided and misinformed.

To the contrary, public charter schools continue to give millions of students access to a public school other than the one to which they would have been assigned. Millions more students are on charter school waiting lists.

Public school choice—including, in addition to public charter schools, magnet schools and career academies—gives parents the opportunity to choose a school within the public system that they feel provides the best education experience for their child.

In this 3rd edition of the Democratic Guide to Public Charters School, we:

  • Set the record straight on public charter school facts.
  • Trace the history of support for public charter schools by Democrats and progressives.
  • Present public opinion data showing strong support for public charter schools from key Democratic constituencies.
  • Review data showing high concentrations of public charter schools and students in Democratic strongholds.
  • Analyze research on public charter school performance in advancing student achievement.
  • Review federal and state policies key for sustaining, improving, and expanding public charter schools.

Read the full guide here.

A Democratic Guide to Public Charter Schools: Support from Democratic Leadership

In Part 2 of the 2nd Edition of our Democratic Guide to Public Charter Schools, we highlight how key Democratic leaders, past and present, at all levels of government, have been instrumental in creating, funding, and advocating for public charter schools. The list includes former Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, leading Congressional Democrats such as Senators Patty Murray and Cory Booker, and Governors like Andrew Cuomo and Jared Polis.

Of particular note: Part 2 includes an exclusive DFER analysis of grants awarded under a program created by President Obama to fund the replication and expansion of high-quality schools run by Charter Management Organizations. In less than a decade, this program has provided funding to support nearly 1,000 new public charter schools and more than 500,000 additional seats in high-performing charter networks across the country.

Stay tuned as additional chapters from our DGPCS continue to be released throughout the week.

Also see: Part 1, Origins and Public Opinion Research. 

The Obama Legacy Carries Through Loud and Clear

The Obama Legacy Carries Through Loud and Clear

When President Obama took office in 2009 promising hope and change, he did so amidst the fallout from a recession that left many in the country reeling. Part of that vision was an improved public education system that would prepare all students for success in the 21st century—regardless of race, zip code or financial situation. From K-12 to higher education, the benefits of his policies are clear: we have seen an increase in high quality public school options that empower parents to choose the right school for their child; strengthened standards and accountability to measure progress and success; and intentionality in addressing racial and social inequities.

We must protect and build upon this progress.

In the face of our current Administration that has proven time and time again that it does not have the best interest of all children at heart, it is imperative that we continue to champion President Obama’s agenda. At Democrats for Education Reform (DFER), we are proud to stand in the legacy of President Obama and will continue to champion these common-sense education reforms that get results, including around high quality public school options. Below, please find recent examples of interviews where DFER President Shavar Jeffries espouses our organizational values and positions on these critical issues.

“‘We champion what we call the Obama Agenda, which is broadly supported by Democrats, broadly supported by voters.’ …

‘There’s overwhelming support again, particularly among African Americans and Latinos, for a wide range of choice within the public education system, including public charter schools. There’s strong evidence for holding politicians accountable to make sure that schools work for kids, that there’s many options, and that parents are at the center of making decisions about the option that best serves their children.'”

“Shavar Jeffries, the president of Democrats for Education Reform, a national organization that supports alternatives to traditional public schools, said there were still prominent Democrats, like Senator Booker, Gov. Jared Polis of Colorado and Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo of New York, whom he considered strong supporters of the charter school sector. And at the local level, he said, many Democratic mayors and state legislators continued to support charter schools, especially those offering additional options for low-income black and Latino students, like those in Los Angeles.

‘Charters exist because the parents demand them and want them,’ Mr. Jeffries said. ‘I do wish more leaders would step up and stand up and deliver that message.'”

“‘There’s a distinction between Obama-style charter schools, which are public and have accountability measures, and Trump-DeVos style, which are for-profits and don’t,’ explains Shavar Jeffries, the president of Democrats for Education Reform, a group that, like Obama and Booker, advocate public charters as a means for education improvement.

“‘None of that would have happened without Sen. Booker,’ Shavar Jeffries, president of Democrats for Education Reform, says. ‘Mayors tend to try to shy away from public education precisely because it’s so hard. He leaned in and leaned in in a very bold and aggressive way.’ …

Jeffries says he hopes Booker will embrace his record on school choice, and points to recent polling his group tapped Benenson Strategy Group to perform that found large majorities of Democratic primary voters support school choice and that more than 80 percent of black and Latino Democratic primary voters support school choice and increased investments in public education.

‘If he embraces this agenda, the evidence shows that this will resonate with large proportion of Democratic primary voters,’ Jeffries says.”

The Real College Admissions Scandal

The real college admissions scandal is what’s happening legally – elite colleges engaging in unfair practices that undermine diversity and don’t reward merit. The embrace of early decision and legacy preferences on these campuses systematically and structurally benefit students that are overwhelmingly white and upper income.

Read our full memo on the Real College Admissions Scandal here.

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