>>> TOMORROW NIGHT A DOZEN DEMOCRATS WILL TAKE THE STAGE
FOR THE NEXT DEBATE AND THEY’RE
DIGGING INTO KITCHEN TABLE
ISSUES THAT COULD AND SHOULD
COME UP ON STAGE.
TODAY IT IS EDUCATION IN
AMERICA.
AMERICA. REAL CLEAR POLITICS SHOWED 43%
OF VOTERS A MAJOR CONCERN WHEN
THEY THINK ABOUT THE ELECTION.
OUR EDUCATION SYSTEM IS IN NEWS
OF SERIOUS WORK.
A MAJORITY OF VOTERS THINKS THE
PUBLIC EDUCATION SYSTEM IN
AMERICA IS POOR OUR ONLY FAIR AT
BEST.
BEST. OUR VOTERS AT SCHOOLS WILL BE A
MODEL OF EXCELLENT FOR YEARS.
JOHN, THIS POLL WENT DEEPER.
IT ASKED VOTERS WHAT IS MOST
IMPORTANT FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS TO
DO.
DO. WHAT DID YOU LEARN?
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
I THINK THE FIRST THING I WANT
TO SAY IS THIS ISSUE TRANSCENDS
THIS.
THIS. WE HAVE CLOSE THAT MANY MEMBERS
OF GEN Z THAT FWLOOEF IS
IMPORTANT.
IMPORTANT. I CANNOT THINK OF ANY OTHER
ISSUE THAT IS SO IMPORTANT, BUT
IT THERE IS SO MUCH PES MISSIONS
WHAT IF THEY WERE SAYING THE
FARM
FARM PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY WAS
GOING TO BE A MODEL OF
EXCELLENCE IN THE FUTURE.
HOW ABOUT PREPARING FOR THE
WORKFORCE, BEING GOOD CITIZENS,
BUT NUMBER THREE STAYING SAFE
FROM VIOLENCE.
FROM VIOLENCE. A TOP PRIORITY FROM CHILDREN
TODAY IS JUST BEING SAFE, MAKING
IT THROUGH A DAY AT SCHOOL IS A
TOP PRIORITY.
TOP PRIORITY. >> ISN’T THIS AN ISSUE OF
ECONOMIC INEQUALITY.
ECONOMIC INEQUALITY. WHEN YOU LOOK AT POLLING, THE
AREAS WHERE PEOPLE LOOKED AT
THEIR LOCAL SCHOOLS.
IS THERE THIS IS STORY OF
ECONOMIC INEQUALITY MORE THAN
OUR SCHOOL SYSTEMS ARE FAILING
US.
US. >> I THINK THE SYSTEM IS
DESIGNED TO WORK THAT WAY,
ACTUALLY.
ACTUALLY. WHEN WE LOOK AT WHAT HAPPENED
POST NEW DEAL, THE HOUSING
ADMINISTRATION, RED LINING THE
POORER AND MORE IMPOVERISHES
COMMUNITIES, THAT IS BECOMING
SUCH A SIGNIFICANT ISSUE.
AND YES, YOU KNOW, THAT POLL IS
TRUE IN TERMS OF FOLKS THAT MAKE
FAMILIES WHO COME FROM
HOUSEHOLDS OF MORE THAN $150,000
A YEAR, THEY DO HAVE BETTER
SCHOOLS AND WE CAN SEE THAT IN
THE DATA.
THE DATA. AND I THINK THIS IS AN
OPPORTUNITY FOR DEMOCRATS
TOMORROW NIGHT TO CONNECT THE
DOTS, I THINK, TWEAK ECONOMIC
INEQUALITY AND AN ISSUE YOU HAVE
BEEN TALKING ABOUT, EDUCATIONAL
INEQUALITY.
INEQUALITY. IT IS CONNECTED AND I THINK THE
DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATES COULD DO A
BETTER JOB CONNECTING THOSE
DOTS.
DOTS. >> IF WE GO LOCAL, THE DOTS GET
DISCONNECTED BECAUSE PEOPLE
ACROSS THE COUNTRY DO NOT VOTE
TO APPROVE SCHOOL BUDGETS UNLESS
THEY HAVE KIDS THEMSELVES IN
THOSE LOCAL SCHOOLS.
WE CAN LOOK AT TOWN AFTER TOWN
WHERE THEY WILL APPROVE
FIREFIGHTER RAISES, POLICE
OFFICERS RAISES, THAT IMPACTS
THE WHOLE TOWN AND CITY, IT IS A
DIFFERENT STORY WHEN IT COMES TO
EDUCATION.
EDUCATION. HOW DO YOU SOLVE FOR THAT?
>> I THINK THE ARGUMENT THAT I
WOULD MAKE FROM THIS DATA IS WE
NEED LEADERSHIP NOT JUST FROM
THE BOTTOM UP, BUT ALSO FROM THE
TOP DOWN.
TOP DOWN. I THINK THAT IS THE POINT OF THE
SURVEY.
SURVEY. A MAJORITY SAY IT IS A MAJOR
CONCERN IN THIS DEMOCRATIC
PRIMARY AND NEARLY AS MANY AS
DEMOCRATIC VOTERS ACROSS THE
SPECTRUM.
SPECTRUM. IT IS A LARGER ISSUE THAT IS
REQUIRING LEADERSHIP AND I
BELIEVE THAT WHEN WE HAVE A TOP
DOWN CONCERN FROM THE CANDIDATES
AS WELL AS FROM THE MEDIA,
FRANKLY, AND THE QUESTIONS AND
THE DEBATES WE WILL SEE
AWARENESS AND INTEREST IN THE
PRIORITIES LIKE QUALITY OF
EDUCATION IN THE HOMETOWN
SCHOOLS AND ACROSS AMERICA.
>> STAY WITH US.
I WANT TO BRING IN OUR GUEST,
JOEL STEEL, AND FORMER HOUSE
SPEAKER FOR JOHN BOEHNER.
LET’S LOOK AT THE NUMBERS, A
MAJORITY OF BLACK VOTERS, 58%,
THEY CARE A LOT ABOUT THIS
ISSUE.
ISSUE. HAVE THEY TALKED ABOUT IT SNUFF?
DO THEY NEED TO MAKE IS CENTER
STAGE?
STAGE? >> I THINK THEY’RE TALKING ABOUT
IT REALLY AT THE GRASS ROOTS
LEVEL, RIGHT?
LEVEL, RIGHT? WHEN THEY GO INTO THE TOWN HALLS
IN PLACES LIKE IOWA.
BUT IN TERMS OF A NATIONAL
DISCUSSION, YOU’RE RIGHT, IT DID
NOT QUESTION THE ATTENTION THAT
WE THOUGHT IT WOULD.
SOMETHING ELSE INTERESTING TO
ME, THERE IS QUESTIONS ABOUT
FREE TWO YEAR AND FOUR YEAR
COLLEGE.
COLLEGE. AND INDEPENDENTS ON MAJORITY
SUPPORT THAT.
SUPPORT THAT. JOHN CAN TALK MORE ABOUT IT, BUT
THERE WAS QUESTIONS WHERE THEY
HAD SUPPORT FOR FREE TWO YEAR OR
FOUR YEAR COLLEGE.
THAT REFLECTS TO ME THAT SOMEONE
LIKE ELIZABETH WARN HAS REALLY
GONE TO SCHOOL ON THIS, THIS IS
AN ISSUE THAT CAN CUT ACROSS.
>> CALL ME NAIVE, BUT I THINK
ISSUES LIKE CLEAN WATER AND SAFE
SCHOOLS SHOULD BE BIPARTISAN,
THEY SHOULD BE A POLITICAL, BUT
THEY’RE NOT.
THEY’RE NOT. WHAT TYPE OF POLICIES OR
PREFORMS DO YOU THINK COULD
ATTRACT REPUBLICANS AND
DEMOCRATS?
DEMOCRATS? >> WE HAVE SEEN A REVOLUTION
WHEN IT COMES TO CHOICE AND
OPPORTUNITY, BUT IT IS
UNFINISHED.
UNFINISHED. WE HAVE THREE MINUTE STUDENTS IN
CHARTER SCHOOLS TODAY.
WE HAVE ONE MILLION ON WAITING
LISTS TRYING TO GET IN ON THIS.
SO I THINK IT IS A FOCUS ON
OPPORTUNITY, GIVING PEOPLE A
CHOICE TO GO TO BETTER SCHOOLS
THAN THE PUBLIC SCHOOL THEY’RE
OFFERED IN THEIR OWN COMMUNITY
RIGHT NOW.
RIGHT NOW. >> YOUR DAUGHTER IS A TEACHER AT
A HIGH RISK SCHOOL DOWN IN
MEMPHIS
MEMPHIS MEMPHIS TENNESSEE, HELP US
UNDERSTAND HER PERSPECTIVE.
>> THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HER
EXPERIENCE IN A BOSTON SUBURB,
AND WHAT SHE SEES EVERY DAY, IS
STARK.
STARK. THEY HAVE MORE METAL DETECTORS
THAN TEXTBOOKS IN HER
CLASSROOMS.
CLASSROOMS. SHE SPENDS EVERY NIGHT BEFORE
SHE GOES TO SCHOOL TO COPY
HUNDREDS OF PAGES TO PREPARE HER
STUDENTS FOR THE NEXT DAY.
THE BUILDING IS FALLING DOWN
AROUND HERE.
AROUND HERE. SHE DOESN’T HAVE ENOUGH SEATS
AND TABLES FOR KIDS IN HER OWN
CLASS.
CLASS. SO BEFORE WE GET TO CHARTER
SCHOOLS OR THIS OR THAT, THERE
IS BASIC INFRASTRUCTURE AND
RESPECT.
RESPECT. >> HOW ABOUT RESPECT FOR HER?
CAN SHE AFFORD TO SUPPORT
HERSELF ON WHAT SHE GETS PAID?
>> THANKFULLY SHE CAN.
SHE HAS A LITTLE BIT, SHE HAS A
FEW COLLEGE LOANS, BUT WHAT I
UNDERSTAND FROM HER IS THAT HER
PEER WHO’S ARE OLDER, FAMILIES
HAVE MORT CADGES.
THEY HAVE TO MAKE ENDS MEET, AND
WHAT SHE SAID IN THAT PIECE,
WHAT IT TAKES TO BE ALIVE, SHE
HAS A 20 MINUTE BREAK FOR THE
ENTIRE DAY, IT REQUIRES AN
INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF STAMINA AND
IF YOU WORK A SECOND OR THIRD
JOB YOU DON’T HAVE THE CAPACITY
FOR IT.
FOR IT. IT IS NOT ABOUT DEXBOOKTEXTBOOK,
TRANSPORTATION, JUST TO PROVE
FROMTIVITY
FROMTIVITY ACTIVITY TO ACTIVITY.
AND SHE IS SO MUCH MORE
APPRECIATIVE OF WHAT SHE HAD GO