Education was barely mentioned in the Trump-Harris presidential debate last month, but could be a key focus at Tuesday’s undercard event.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) is the first former educator in decades to run a major party ticket, and he has brought that experience to the forefront on the campaign trail.
But Walz’s record in schools, both as a teacher and as governor, has also been a key target for Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), who won’t hold back the first and only vice presidential debate.
“It’s more likely to come up in the VP debate than it would be in any other presidential debate, and one of the reasons for that is because it’s so central – education is so central to Walz’s identity as a former teacher.” said Jon Valant, director of the Brown Center on Education Policy at the Brookings Institute.
“And the other part of it is that a lot of what we heard from JD Vance has so much to do with parents and parents of school-age children that I think there’s even more incentive to focus on education in that area.” debate than there is for the presidential debate,” Valant added. “I would be a little surprised if we didn’t get any questions about education or at least about parenting.”
Walz has a very personal relationship with education and taught in China for a year before returning to the United States to teach social studies in Minnesota. He was also a football coach at Alliance High School, where he met his wife, also a teacher.
He hasn’t shied away from bringing up this background on the campaign trail and has received enthusiastic support from major teachers’ unions.
During the debate, “it’s important for him to tell his story,” said Antjuan Seawright, a Democratic political strategist.
“And then when you tell his story, the teacher aspect of who he is and how he fought for accessible and affordable education for all comes through,” Seawright said.
But Walz’s record was also an area where Republicans went on the attack, giving him the nickname “Tampon Tim” after he signed a bill expanding access to menstrual products, including in boys’ restrooms.
“I suspect that education policy will not be a focus of the debate, apart from examples used as part of a broader criticism of the candidates. For example, conservatives have criticized Walz’s education record as governor by attacking him over a law he passed requiring menstrual products in public schools. This attack is part of the Republicans’ larger culture war against the left,” said Ryan Dawkins, assistant professor in the political science department at Carleton College.
“Similarly, Walz could try to tie Vance to Project 2025 and his political goal of dismantling the entire Department of Education,” Dawkins added.
Republicans have championed “parental rights” as a central tenet of their education platform, and Vance has embraced the issue despite drawing heat for his aggressive rhetoric in the past.
In 2021, he condemned what he called Democrats’ “anti-family” agenda, saying the movement was led by “a bunch of childless cat ladies who are unhappy with their own lives and the choices they’ve made.” are and who they want” in order to make the rest of the country unhappy too.”
Vance also directly criticized Randi Weingarten, head of the American Federation of Teachers, in 2022, saying she “doesn’t have a single child.” Weingarten is a mother by marriage.
“If she wants to brainwash and destroy children’s minds, she should have one of her own and leave ours the hell alone,” Vance said.
Observers are curious to see how Vance tries to take action against Walz without alienating other educators.
“I think the teacher side of it is very interesting…It’s so central to Walz. He was a teacher. In many ways he presents himself as a teacher. And I’m excited to see how Vance handles it,” Valant said.
“If Vance speaks out and his rhetoric feels very anti-teacher, I think that could be part of the story that comes out of the debate. Or whether he will focus on teachers unions. “I’m just very curious,” he added.
Conservatives expect Vance to focus on Walz’s record as Minnesota governor without becoming bogged down in personal invective.
“Minnesota is home to what scientists say are the most radical government standards in the country. As governor, Walz signed into law standards that teach students to be part of and aware of “racist hierarchies.” [their] one’s own bias, power and privilege.’ The standards teach students about intersectionality and “settler colonialism,” among other concepts and buzzwords rooted in toxic identity politics,” said Ryan Walker, executive vice president of Heritage Action for America.
“Walz should be pushed for these radical standards and asked if this is the vision of America that should be taught to children in public schools,” Walker added.
