Dive Brief:
- Hot education topics like teacher tenure, the Common Core, charter schools, and pre-K are not making their way into any campaign platforms, according to Fredrick M. Hess and Max Eden of the American Enterprise Institute.
- The duo scoured the web, reviewing the campaign websites for the 139 major party gubernatorial or U.S. Senate candidates, finding that few, if any, took a stance on today's major education issues.
- Based on their findings, Hess and Eden argue that the hype around "education reform" may just be buzz and that real policy shifts don't seem to be coming down the pipeline.
Dive Insight:
Interestingly, while Hess and Eden found very little talk of the Common Core, pre-K, and STEM education, there did seem to be some stances on increases in education spending. According to their research, a little over half of the candidates for governor have platforms that ask for an increase in education funding. However, Hess and Eden point out that even these discussions lack substance. "But even the calls for more funds tend to sound like he-said-she-said bickering rather than a real debate over priorities in an era of tight budgets," they write.
While their research could mean ed reform policy is not on the horizon, it could also mean politicians know many of the topics are highly polarizing and they are purposely avoiding taking a stance until after election day.