Episode 30: We Chat About Democratic Candidates and Education (feat. Conor Williams)

BY July 16, 2019
In this episode, Conor P. Williams breaks down the education policies of the Democratic presidential hopefuls. You'll hear about the candidate's education platforms, their positions on the charter school movement, and why civil rights battles are often more successful at the federal level. Conor P. Williams is a fellow at The Century Foundation. Williams was previously the founding director of the New America’s Dual Language Learners National Work Group and a senior researcher in New America’s Education Policy Program. He began his career as a first grade teacher in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. Dr. Williams holds a Ph.D in government from Georgetown University, a M.S. in teaching from Pace University, and a B.A. from Bowdoin College. [spp-player url=http://traffic.libsyn.com/voices4ed/30_-_Education_Post_-_Whats_The_Big_Idea.mp3] [spp-tweet tweet="“If you want to lose a civil rights battle, have it at the local level.” – Conor P. Williams"]

Episode Details:

  • Why the charter school movement needs to clean it’s own house
  • The most effective education proposals from the democratic candidates
  • Why civil rights battles are often more successful at the federal level
  • Why it’s important for teachers to have high expectations for kids living in poverty

Links Mentioned:

[spp-tweet tweet="“We don’t need to justify addressing the worst elements of poverty that effect kids using test scores. I don’t think that addressing poverty needs to be linked too tightly to outcomes– it needs to be done because it’s worth doing.” – Conor P. Williams"]
Take action!