Fourteen minutes and 50 seconds — by my count, that’s about how long the Democratic presidential candidates have spent talking about K-12 education over the last four debates.

Fourteen minutes and 50 seconds out of more than 12 hours of debates is not enough time to spend on a subject that affects 55 million students. Although our education system largely relies on decisions made at the state and local level, the president sets the tone and agenda for their party and wields significant influence over state leaders. With so many public schools that cannot keep up with our children’s needs, education reform deserves more time and attention on the national stage.