Education: Arguments, Evidence and Where Politicians Stand
Schools, curriculum, school choice, religion in schools and college costs.
Overview
Most decisions about schools are made by states and local school boards. The federal government provides a smaller share of the money and enforces civil-rights laws.
Debates include school choice programs that let public money follow students to private or religious schools, what schools teach about history, sexuality and gender, the role of parents, religion in public schools, race in admissions, and the cost of college.
The main sides
Supporters of school choice and parental control argue
Parents know their children best and should be able to choose a school that fits them, and competition can push every school to improve.
Supporters of investing in public schools argue
Public schools serve every child; moving money to private schools weakens them, and decisions about curriculum should rest with educators and elected school boards.
Test statements on this issue
- Families should be able to use public education funding at privately run schools.
- Public funds may support religious schools on the same terms as other private schools.
- Organized prayer or worship should be allowed in state-run schools.
- Religious texts or symbols should not be displayed in state-run school classrooms.
- Public schools should teach about the country’s religious heritage.
- Parents should have the final say over what schools teach their children about sexuality and gender.
- Parents should have the right to homeschool their children without needing government approval.
- The government should spend significantly more to give poorer children the same opportunities as richer ones.
- Hiring and university admissions should consider race to make up for past discrimination.
- Schools should challenge conventional gender expectations.
- Children benefit when schools emphasize established moral traditions.
How ideologies line up
Average estimated answer of each ideology model to the statements above (−100 to +100).
Where 2026 candidates stand
- Sherrod Brown (D, Ohio Senate (special)): A longtime opponent of vouchers for private schools. source
- Abdul El-Sayed (D, Michigan Senate): Wants the profit motive out of public education; opposes vouchers. source
- Mike Rogers (R, Michigan Senate): Says vouchers help low-income students escape low-quality schools. source
- James Talarico (D, Texas Senate): Opposes private-school vouchers. source
- Ken Paxton (R, Texas Senate): Called Texas's new school choice law a major victory. source
- Josh Turek (D, Iowa Senate): Would end Iowa's school vouchers; introduced a bill to repeal the program. source
- Ashley Hinson (R, Iowa Senate): Sponsored federal tax credits for private-school scholarships and backed Iowa's voucher program. source
- Chris Pappas (D, New Hampshire Senate): Opposes efforts to dismantle public education. source
- John E. Sununu (R, New Hampshire Senate): Supports New Hampshire's universal school voucher program. source
- Keisha Lance Bottoms (D, Georgia Governor): Would fully fund public schools and guarantee universal pre-K. source
- Rick Jackson (R, Georgia Governor): Would opt Georgia into the federal private-school scholarship tax credit. source
- Aaron Ford (D, Nevada Governor): Opposes diverting public school money to private-school vouchers. source
Articles
Open the interactive issue hub to see community discussions and compare with your own answers.