September 11, 2019
Bipartisan Education Leaders Call on Presidential Candidates to End Toxic Rhetoric about School Choice

On the eve of the third Democratic presidential debate, Chiefs for Change today released a statement calling on all candidates to oppose policies that place strict limits on the growth of new public school options for families. The chiefs, who lead systems in both blue and red states, write, “[W]e are troubled by the current national dialogue about school choice, which is more politically polarizing than ever before and driven in part by the cynical nature of today’s presidential politics. As a bipartisan network of education leaders, we oppose attempts to undermine, misrepresent, and politicize sound school choice policies and practices that work for families and communities.”

The chiefs oversee systems that collectively serve more than 7 million students and say that high-performing public charter schools are helping to improve the quality of education in their communities. The statement calls for school choice policies that ensure quality, equitable access, and equitable funding as the responsible alternative to caps and moratoriums. It reads, “As we continue to do everything we can to put all children on a path to success in life, demagoguery about charter schools is deeply unhelpful. We challenge everyone, from presidential candidates to local public officials, to reject toxic rhetoric and defeatist policy proposals in favor of the more difficult and essential work of establishing strong school choice systems that are in the best interest of all of America’s children.”

About Chiefs for Change

Chiefs for Change is a nonprofit, bipartisan network of diverse state and district education chiefs dedicated to preparing all students for today’s world and tomorrow’s through deeply committed leadership. Chiefs for Change advocates for policies and practices that are making a difference today for students, and builds a pipeline of talented, diverse Future Chiefs ready to lead major school systems.