The Temptation to Compromise With Trump on Schools — and Why It Might Kill Education Reform

Conor P. Williams wrote for the 74 Million about the ways in which progressive education reformers may or may not work with President Trump:

The day after last fall’s presidential election, it was truly bizarre to live at the heart of the country’s political establishment, in Washington, D.C., where Donald Trump finished with just 4 percent of the vote. November 9 kicked off a prolonged period of Beltway gloom; since then, even the sunny days are rainy here — each news cycle contributes another trickle of pessimism to the shower of anxieties.

These are dark, stormy days to be a progressive. It’s a particularly tough time for those of us who were proud members of the Barack Obama–Arne Duncan education coalition. President Obama governed as an aggressive education reformer, staking legacy claims on school choice, early education, teacher evaluation, academic standards and more. As the political currents sweep Trump into office, it’s time to ask: What’s next for progressive education reformers?