Democratic presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders unveiled an education policy proposal on Saturday designed to pump billions of dollars into the public schools system, in a bid to appeal to black voters who shunned the U.S. senator during his previous presidential run.
The 10-point plan Sanders detailed in a speech in South Carolina aims to end racial disparities in the public education system. America’s education policy debate has long been steeped in discussions of race and racial discrimination.
Sanders struggled in the 2016 campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination against Hillary Clinton to garner support among African-Americans. His chief Democratic rival in the run-up to the 2020 election, former Vice President Joe Biden, has polled well among black voters.
“Every child has a right to a quality K-12 education, regardless of your race, regardless of your income, and regardless of your zip code,” Sanders said in a statement on the proposal.
The Vermont senator built his 2016 campaign on a series of liberal policy ideas that at the time made him unique among Democrats, but which now are shared by many of his rivals. More than 20 Democrats are vying to challenge President Donald Trump, the likely Republican nominee.
Sanders has struggled to distinguish himself in the current field, frequently complaining that he deserves credit for pioneering many of the progressive ideas now espoused by other Democratic challengers.
Sanders titled his new education proposal the “Thurgood Marshall Plan for Education,” a nod to the Supreme Court justice who before being on the bench successfully argued the 1954 landmark Brown v. Board of Education case that desegregated public schools.
On Friday, the Sanders campaign previewed the portion of the proposal that would overhaul charter schools, the publicly-funded schools that operate independently of government oversight.
The remaining portion of his proposal covers everything from teacher pay to school lunches.
Sanders said he would push for funding to better integrate some schools. He also called for a federal funding minimum and moving away from using property taxes to pay for schools. Critics argue that using property taxes results in wealthy areas having better schools than more impoverished neighborhoods.
He wants to spend an additional $5 billion a year on summer school and after-school programs across the United States and also called for an increase in federal funding for programs for students with disabilities.
Teachers’ salaries should be set at a minimum of $60,000 a year, Sanders said, and tied to regional cost of living. Schools should be required to provide free meals, breakfast, lunch and snacks to all students, he said.
He added that he wants to provide another $5 billion to increase community services at schools, including health and dental care, mental health and job training.
For schools that continue to lack the infrastructure necessary to teach students, Sanders wants to provide federal funds for more school construction.
The senator also proposed making schools safer and more inclusive, including by passing gun control legislation and enacting laws to protect lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer students.
via newsmax
Our boy Bernie lives in the “twilight zone”. Since the late 60’s, we have been lowering our standards to only accommodate certain groups of people.
Amen..UY
Bernie is only fishing for votes, he cannot deliver on what he is campaigning on. People need to wise up and do a little homework. What has he done for Vermont? What has he done for the country other than push socialist ideas, that hasn’t worked elsewhere and has even a lesser chance to get off the ground here. His strongest base is the young, the most easily misled and the most recently groomed by the liberal educational system and MSM. Bernie is going nowhere.
I agree!
bernie is a joke
Yes he is, a very bad joke.
Bernie is correct, the Education system needs to be overhauled, just not his way. Children need to learn and have homework again, need to learn script again, need to learn that you cannot win by just showing up. Need to learn the USA “IS” the greatest country in the world and not be ashamed of being an American. Universities should be affordable. Scholarships should be competitive and not provided because of race or Nationality. University instructors and public school teachers should be given awards for merit, not longevity. There is no reason that a University professors income is 200,000/yr to teach 2 classes per semester because he/she has tenure (longevity); mean while most professors and instructors teaching 4-6 classes per semester make less than 65,000/yr because they are not tenure. although many have worked longer than most tenured professors. why should public school teachers after 20 years teaching make less than 45000/yr.
Bernie is a ancient old relic of once a human being. He needs to die of old age . He is stupid and ugly and good for nothing but being a pain in the ass. What a piece of worthless shit. Typical democRAT. Bernie and that wrinkled PIGlosie , Ugly Maxine , Muslims in congress and horse teeth wild eyed ex bartender, this country is in dire trouble , only hope we have is Mr. Trump .
Notice that NY and Mexifornia are well represented n this list of all-stars? Add Schmuck Schumer, (Gov) Cuomo and (Mayor) DeBlasio and you begin to see why NY City and much of NY State is becoming more unlivable .
Deadbeat Bernie Sanders thanks do you American black person is every bit as stupid as he thinks they are! I think the black people have caught on to being used like the slaves that you think they are and the useful idiots that you think they are Mr. Sanders!
They are now importing teachers from other countries because we don’t have enough anymore. And this is why our children can no longer speak English correctly anymore🙀
Aside from Sanders being a misfit wacko who no doubt has appeal to many like him in the US, I have no sympathy for educators. Here in NY - the overtaxed, over regulated liberal sanctuary socialist welfare state, of which Sanders is a sad product of, one quarter of teachers mane over $100,000 a year with principals in and near NY City at $200,000 - $400,000 . For what, a six hour “work” day and being off June thru Sept? Naturally, their unions want more benefits, more pay, less work and the dumb democraps who run this state (into the ground) wonder why there is ever increasing budget deficits and 200,000 are escaping every year. I realize this is one screwed up political state and not an indication of elsewhere but it could happen elsewhere without oversight.