It’s the Education, Stupid
2013-05-29 - by
In today’s superheated politics, a bit of understatement can be a powerful thing. Exaggeration and overstatement get you headlines, but they don’t necessarily win the hearts and minds of swing voters.
Democrats might remember that as they rail at the Republican-run state government. Crying wolf at every outrage – and there’s a new one every day – can grow old fast.
Keep your eye on just a couple of balls. Like not expanding Medicaid, which takes health care away from people who need it and will cost the state hundreds of millions of dollars more in the long run. And like calling North Carolina “broken.” What company wants to invest in a broken state?
Most of all: education. The indictment is damning, and the damage is real. Fewer teachers and fewer teachers’ assistants. Larger class sizes. Less pre-K education. Teachers’ salaries too low. No incentives for teachers to improve. Less protection for teachers against unfair firing.
What do Republicans have against teachers? How does beating up on teachers make education better?
Now, they’re shifting tax dollars from public schools to private schools. Some Republican legislators know better, especially the ones who know something about public schools. Like Rep. Chris Whitmire, a Republican and former chairman of the Transylvania County school board, who said: “This bill robs Peter to pay Paul.”
Democrats stayed in power a long time for a lot of reasons. One big reason was they were seen as the people who made the public schools better. No issue is more important to many swing voters, especially suburban women.
Don’t lose that focus.
It’s the Education, Stupid
2013-05-29/
In today’s superheated politics, a bit of understatement can be a powerful thing. Exaggeration and overstatement get you headlines, but they don’t necessarily win the hearts and minds of swing voters.
Democrats might remember that as they rail at the Republican-run state government. Crying wolf at every outrage – and there’s a new one every day – can grow old fast.
Keep your eye on just a couple of balls. Like not expanding Medicaid, which takes health care away from people who need it and will cost the state hundreds of millions of dollars more in the long run. And like calling North Carolina “broken.” What company wants to invest in a broken state?
Most of all: education. The indictment is damning, and the damage is real. Fewer teachers and fewer teachers’ assistants. Larger class sizes. Less pre-K education. Teachers’ salaries too low. No incentives for teachers to improve. Less protection for teachers against unfair firing.
What do Republicans have against teachers? How does beating up on teachers make education better?
Now, they’re shifting tax dollars from public schools to private schools. Some Republican legislators know better, especially the ones who know something about public schools. Like Rep. Chris Whitmire, a Republican and former chairman of the Transylvania County school board, who said: “This bill robs Peter to pay Paul.”
Democrats stayed in power a long time for a lot of reasons. One big reason was they were seen as the people who made the public schools better. No issue is more important to many swing voters, especially suburban women.
Don’t lose that focus.