蜜桃影视

Education policy is about so much more than just curriculum, budgets and teacher pay. As any education reporter or advocate can tell you, it鈥檚 about economics, technology, civil rights, gun control, immigration and a hundred other things.

Given that connection, it鈥檚 perhaps not a surprise that discussion of K-12 in the first Democratic presidential debates touched on the larger canvas of education issues.

Perhaps no moment better exemplified that complexity than the breakout moment of Thursday鈥檚 debate, Sen. Kamala Harris鈥檚 challenge to former vice president Joe Biden鈥檚 record on civil rights, particularly school busing.

鈥淵ou also worked with them to oppose busing,鈥� Harris said of Biden鈥檚 comments touting his ability to work with segregationist senators. 鈥淎nd you know, there was a little girl in California who was part of the second class to integrate her public schools, and she was bused to school every day 鈥� and that little girl was me.鈥�

Biden said Harris鈥檚 comments were a 鈥渕ischaracterization of my position across the board.鈥� Regarding busing, he specifically opposed 鈥渂using ordered by the Department of Education,鈥� Biden added. (Those views were in line with public opinion on school integration both at the time and now, .)

Earlier in the evening, Biden also invoked K-12 education when challenged on his age, as part of a broader question on the future of work in an era of increased automation.

鈥淭he fact of the matter is, what we have to do is make sure that everybody is prepared better … That鈥檚 why I think we should triple the amount of money we spend for Title I schools. That鈥檚 why I think we should have universal pre-K,鈥� Biden said.

Most people will need additional education beyond high school, and community college should also be free, he said. College costs did come up several times in both nights of the debate, with candidates generally divided between those who support four years of free tuition and those, like Biden, who support two free years of community college.

Biden鈥檚 mention of Title I wasn鈥檛 the only education mention that would鈥檝e sent the average viewer to Google.

On Wednesday, TV audiences heard a term that isn鈥檛 widely known outside education circles, this time as part of a discussion on gun control and school safety.

Rep. Tim Ryan of Ohio focused on social-emotional learning, an issue he鈥檚 long pursued, but one that鈥檚 perhaps a little esoteric to the debate鈥檚 typical audience.

鈥淲e need to start dealing with the trauma that our kids have. We need trauma-based care in every school. We need social-emotional learning in every school,鈥� Ryan said.

And in a nod to the younger voters who will be crucial for Democrats, several candidates also recognized the work of student activists working on gun control issues in the wake of the Parkland, Florida, shooting.

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