Democrats Desperately Need a Winning Strategy for Public Education
Session Type(s): Panel
Starts: Friday, Aug. 19 1:30 PM (Eastern)
Ends: Friday, Aug. 19 2:30 PM (Eastern)
Democratic candidate Terry McAuliffe likely lost to Republican Glenn Youngkin in the Virginia race for governor in part because of his failure to respond to Youngkin’s attacks on public schools for enforcing safety measures during a pandemic and for teaching essential truths about American history, racial injustice, and evolving attitudes toward gender identity. Since McAuliffe’s bungled campaign, Republican strategists have ratcheted up their attacks on schools, and new polling data show Americans’ trust in Democrats to handle education has eroded. This panel will explain what Democrats need to understand to turn that situation around and muster an effective counterattack.
Moderator
Jeff Bryant
I am a marketing and communications strategist with nearly 30 years of experience – the past 20+ on my own as a freelance writer, advocacy journalist, and consultant. My award-winning advocacy work routinely appears in prominent news outlets including, Salon, Alternet, and The Washington Post. In commercial and fundraising ventures, my work has produced millions of dollars in sales and funds raised for clients, who range from prestigious nonprofit organizations, such as the National Geographic Society and Doctors Without Borders, to Fortune 500 companies such as Kimberley-Clark and Xerox.
Panelists
Jennifer Berkshire
Jennifer Berkshire is the creator and co-host of a biweekly podcast on the politics of public education called Have You Heard. She writes about the intersection of education and politics for the Nation, the New Republic, the Baffler, the New York Times, and other publications. She is the co-author (with Jack Schneider) of A Wolf at the Schoolhouse Door: The Dismantling of Public Education and the Future of School.
Diallo Brooks
Diallo Brooks is Schott Foundation’s Senior Vice President of Programs and Advocacy. A leader in the fight for social justice and civil rights, he has spent his entire career working to advance progressive policies that create safe, healthy, thriving, and sustainable communities for all. Recently, Brooks served as Senior Director of Field Mobilization at People For the American Way, working as a national spokesperson on issues including civil rights, voting rights, and civic engagement. He also led People For’s Defend the Black Vote, a nationwide fight against voter suppression that successfully engaged millions of Black voters in the 2020 elections.