Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders appears to have changed his mind on charter schools again. After opposing them and drawing ire from Democrats for Education Reform, Sanders supported public charter schools in an interview Monday, The 74 reports.
“If they are for private institutions, I do not support it, because they are undermining public education in general,” Sanders said in an interview on the Tom Joyner Morning Show. “But if it’s in the context of public education, I do support it.”
Charter schools are technically public schools, because they are government funded by privately run. With that in mind, TV One’s Roland Martin asked Sanders, “So you support public charter schools?”
“Yes,” Sanders replied, “But not private.”
The interview marks another confusing chapter in Sanders’ long history with charter schools. In January, Sanders told a charter school graduate at a town hall, “I’m not in favor of privately run charter schools.”
Prior to that, in 1998, Sanders voted for the Charter School Expansion Act in the House of Representatives.
Sanders’ competitor, Hillary Clinton, has her own complicated history with charter schools. First she was for them, then she didn’t talk about them, then she opposed them, and now we’re not really sure.
Jason Russell is a commentary writer for the Washington Examiner.
