BOULDER, CO (September 17, 2024) – In this month's episode of NEPC Talks Education, Christopher Saldaña interviews George Mason University professor David Houston about partisanship and polarization in education policy. Houston is the director of EdPolicyForward and the survey director of the Education Next poll at Harvard University.
Professor Houston delves into the complex landscape of partisanship and polarization in education policy, offering a nuanced perspective on how these forces shape public opinion and policy decisions. He explains that while many education issues have become increasingly divided along party lines over the past two decades, some issues still maintain bipartisan support. For instance, he notes that while there are “gargantuan partisan divides on things like classroom instruction about structural racism or gender identity,” there are also areas of common ground, such as support for increased teacher salaries.
Nonetheless, he points out an emerging divergence between "red" and "blue" states in terms of education policies and practices. He provides concrete examples, such as Florida's decision to no longer offer AP African American Studies, contrasted with California's requirement for students to take an ethnic studies class to graduate from high school. This trend, he warns, could lead to “a notably, tangibly different public education system in red and blue states.”
Houston explains that while research findings don't always directly influence policy decisions, they can "create a community of knowledge" that becomes valuable when political conditions are right for change. He cites the implementation of tutoring programs to address pandemic-related learning loss as an example of research intersecting fruitfully with policy needs.
A new NEPC Talks Education podcast episode, hosted by Christopher Saldaña, will be released each month from September through May.
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