"It is probably the most significant thing that our presidential candidates are not talking about," said Steven Hernandez , executive director of ConnCAN, a Connecticut-wide education advocacy organization. "Education isn't just a point in time issue. It is a gateway to lifelong success and a gateway to positive health outcomes. Parents understand that.
And yet, Harris nor Trump have discussed it much on a national stage, let alone made it a talking point in their campaigns. While CT Insider interviewed dozens of candidates for the election as it relates to more local state House and Senate races, education continues to not be among the top topics candidates want to discuss.
"We're focusing on the lowest hanging fruit at the national level, which is our issues at the border and our issues with gun violence, and those are very important issues, because they hearken to the feeling of safety," Hernandez said. "But those feelings of safety on the national level do not reflect the feelings of insecurity that families are feeling at the local level about their children's future, that is what is most present."
But that didn't necessarily come as a shock to Gary Rose , politics professor at Sacred Heart University . As an educator, Rose said he'd like to say that education was something that moves the needle. But he wasn't convinced that was the case.
"Those are not germane issues to voters right now," Rose said.
When there are so many other national concerns, education clearly seems to be falling behind, said Patrice McCarthy , executive director and general counsel of the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education . At the same time, the presidential campaigns also seem to be generally focused on issues like the economy and employment, which do impact education, she said.
"So while education is not specifically discussed, certainly the conversations will have an impact on our education system," McCarthy said.
'A Stand In for Cultural Issues'
Even when it generally ranks low in importance in presidential election issues, said Ronald Schurin , professor emeritus in political science at the University of Connecticut , he thinks that in some ways, education has become an extremely significant political issue because of everything else it is intertwined with.
"It has become a stand in for cultural issues," Schurin said.
When candidates do talk about education, it usually has to do with issues that are not orthodox educational matters, but still relate to what goes on inside the classroom, he said. A constellation of issues surrounding schools have gained traction in conservative politics especially, including banning books, school prayer, the pledge of allegiance and LGBTQ+ and gender issues.
And in that sense, people are very much talking about schools and education in politics and on the campaign trail, Schurin said.
Project 2025, a controversial plan authored by leading conservatives that outlines a dramatic overhaul of the federal government if Trump wins back the presidency, has been the subject of harsh criticism from Harris and education advocates in Connecticut alike.
U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro , D- Connecticut , recently said at a congressional hearing that Trump's Project 2025 was a "direct attack on teachers and public education," as it would slash funding, abolish the Department of Education , end loan forgiveness and roll back protections for LGBTQ+ students. Trump, however, has distanced himself from it, although he has pledged to take some of those actions.
For McCarthy, education wasn't a political issue at all, and shouldn't be treated as such.
"Avoiding making education a political football, I think, is extremely important," she said. Because for the most part, everyone believes that there should be a strong educational system, and although there might be disagreement on what exactly that looks like, its generally something people value, McCarthy said.
Even so, Schurin does not think education as an issue itself will change the way in which people vote, and doesn't really expect it to become more prevalent in presidential election conversations.
"I think that people already have their point of view," he said. "All the people that could be touched by that issue have already been touched."
Come November, Rose said he thinks voter turnout, especially among young people, is going to be high, but not due to singular issues like education or any policy specifics.
"I would say that what is being discussed, though, is the need for change," Rose said. "The way I see it is, people are talking more, 'Is it time for something new or not?' I think, in a very general sense, that's probably about as deep as people are getting."
Local Significance
And even though education may not come off as a major issue in the presidential race, for Connecticut education advocates like Hernandez, it was essential to separate the national landscape from the state landscape.
"We haven't had education presidents for a long time," he said. "But that means that the onus is on the state and on state leaders to move the needle on education, and that's why we're paying so much more attention to local elections."
While having a strong U.S. Secretary of Education and setting overall fiscal support for education was obviously an essential role in the federal government, McCarthy also said she thinks education is much more of a state and local issue.
"I think particularly coming from a state where we value local decision making, I'm not sure that more federal involvement and discussion would enhance our education system," McCarthy said.
Hernandez said that the role of state government was vital in education, especially as federal pandemic-relief funding expires and most districts in the state face fiscal emergencies.
"The way we have done education in Connecticut , both funding and resourcing, is outdated, and we need to change," he said.
And that's why the upcoming election was so significant, Hernandez said.
"If we have the same elected people coming back time and again without a real care for changing the way we do things in education here in Connecticut , then we're going to fall flat," Hernandez said. "Every election from now on is going to be increasingly important."
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