The Price of Education
The 2020 Presidential Election is around the corner and the hot topic is education. In the last decade, public educational funding has been cut in every state and university student loans increased astronomically. Covid-19 brought new concerns when America was forced to close campuses and resume classes online. There’s also talk of the ‘1619 Project’ being implemented in public schools. The education crisis will have major effect over the outcome of this presidential election because we were all once students and some of us are now parents.
The 1619 Project has been trying to get into core curriculum since August 2019. The course will place slavery and contributions of Black people at the center of American narrative. Slavery was worse than we were taught and these findings will help everyone understand systemic racism. President Trump said, “ they [the Department of Education] will not be funding it.” This is due to the fact people may not be so proud to be an American after they know the ugly truth. Instead President Trump wants to implement “pro-American” curriculum, which is essentially what public schools currently teach, that highlights white people as heroes.
Many Americans, regardless of political affiliation, are furious with school funding, teacher pay and student loans. Education has become a luxury when it should be an essential. The more a society is educated, the more successful it works. Student loans are the biggest fear of anyone seeking a higher education. If candidates can’t erase student debt, they should erase the loan interest and backpay the interest people have paid. Joe Biden said he’ll, “pause payments and interest for individuals with incomes under $25,000.” This income qualification is not good enough, Joe. It doesn’t include low-paying essential jobs, like social workers and teachers who make more than $25k, but less then $50k.
The measly pay was not enough to keep teachers in the classroom once covid-19 struck. Educators resigned nationwide due to the dangers of being pushed back into the classroom too early. Schools did not have the necessary precautions implemented to support regular school function, like new ventilation systems and sanitizing stations. Teachers were forced to choose between their careers and their lives. President Trump even threatened to lessen public school funding if the schools didn’t reopen fully by Fall. This was like signing a death sentence considering President Trump has no healthcare plan and is trying to repeal Obamacare.
The Trump administration were strong supporters of school of choice/charter schools, but have focused their attention to private school vouchers. Both democrats and republicans have moved on from the future of education being charter schools. This leaves the charter schools to fight for government funding with bigger institutions because their stand-alone budget will be dissolved. The president and chief executive of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, Nina Rees said, “We’re used to being favored by both sides, and not used to the controversy at the national level.” Private schools can’t be the only option for parents because even with vouchers, they are too expensive for more than half of Americans.
Everyone on this planet deserves the best, free education. The people that suffer from the government’s inability to benefit all are the children and future societies. Come election day of November 3rd, vote not for yourself, but for all.
