Policy proposals: How the U.S. Presidential candidates stack up BERNIE SANDERS JOE BIDEN KAMALA HARRIS ELIZABETH WARREN
No concrete proposal but wants to Has no K-12 platform but wants federal SCHOOL FUNDING Triple Title I funding. Triple Title I funding. reform the way the U.S. funds its laws “to help supplement” K-12. schools.
Place a moratorium on public funds Opposes for-profit charters but Says charter schools need No platform on charters. Has received for all charter school expansion until a is silent on nonprofits and has “transparency and accountability” but contributions from prominent privatizers, CHARTER ACCOUNTABILITY national audit on the impact of charter not joined the NAACP’s call for a no concrete proposals. Has received including the Pritzker family and the & PRIVATIZATION growth in each state. Implement moratorium. Charters not mentioned contributions from prominent president of Walton Enterprises. accountability measures for charter at all in official “Joe’s Plan” ed privatizers Eli Broad, Reed Hastings, schools. Ban for-profit charters. platform. and Michael Bloomberg.
Increase new teacher pay to a Wants to make teacher pay Give average teacher $13,500 pay No K-12 platform. Has indicated TEACHER PAY minimum starting salary of $60,000 “competitive” but does not have raise, but fed will only pay part and it is support for increasing teacher pay but nationwide with adjustments for cost specific proposal. up to states to do the rest. has no specific policy or proposal. of living and other factors.
Double union membership in four years No detailed platform on unions. No specific platform on unions but No specific platform on unions but by eliminating at-will employment, Reactive stance on stopping wants to ban anti-union “right to work” wants to ban anti-union “right-to-work” EMPOWERING UNIONS banning anti-union “right to work” laws, “Republican attempts to strip away laws and give all teachers collective laws and streamline “card-check” union setting minimum standards for pay and workers’ rights” instead of proactive bargaining rights. elections. benefits across sectors, making it easier stance to build union strength. to strike, and punishing employers who engage in union busting.
Sanders is the only candidate who No policy but has supported the IDEA No policy but has supported the IDEA IDEA FUNDING (SPECIAL Fund IDEA at the 40% rate promised would fund IDEA at 50% — above the by the federal government. Full Funding Act. Full Funding Act. EDUCATION) 40% “fully funded” level (currently underfunded at 18%).
SUPPORT FOR COMMUNITY Increase public school funding overall No proposal for Community Schools. No proposal for Community Schools. No proposal for Community Schools. including $5 billion for sustainable SCHOOLS Community Schools.
Sanders is the only major candidate Biden’s education plan is heavy Harris made a big splash with Warren does not have, as of now, a with a detailed, progressive plan for on rhetoric, light on specifics, her proposal to increase teacher platform for K-12 public education. K-12 public education and the first and he has done little to distance pay but has yet to follow up with A recent report card from Diane Bottom Line major candidate in 25 years to take himself from the pro-privatization, anything substantive for K-12 public Ravitch’s Network for Public on the privatization of public ed and test-focused policies of the Obama education. Education gave Warren remarkably the billionaires behind it. Sanders administration or the Democratic low grades: a “D” on testing, a has endorsed UTLA’s New Deal for Party establishment’s support of “C” on charter schools, a “D” on Public Schools and California’s privatization. institutional affiliations. Schools and Communities First funding measure.