The conservative rift over whether to support Donald Trump extends to experts who would be willing to serve in his administration, including education.
Education Week’s Andrew Ujifusa reports that, “Faced with the prospect of working on education policy in a presidential administration headed by Donald Trump, some veterans of past Republican education departments, aides to GOP members of Congress, and other old policy hands are saying, ‘No thanks.'”
Reasons include Trump’s unpredictability, unpresidential behavior, insulting comments to minorities and lack of knowledge on education policy.
Some education experts see Trump’s lack of detailed stances as an opportunity to be more influential. James Guthrie, a professor of education at Lynn University in Boca Raton, Fla., told Education Week he’s not sure if he likes Trump, but “I’m never going to divorce myself from the opportunity to influence the president of the United States.”
But it looks like many more conservative education reformers would rather not work for Trump. Rick Hess, director of education policy studies at the conservative American Enterprise Institute, said the issue came up at a recent dinner with roughly 25 conservative education experts who are on staff in Congress or worked on education under President George W. Bush. Hess said fewer than five were interested in working under Trump.
Jeanne Allen, founder of the pro-school choice Center for Education Reform, refused to advise the Trump campaign on education policy. “I don’t want my issues coming out of his mouth,” she said, expressing concern that Trump could damage all the recent progress education reformers have made in the states.
Although some see Trump as an authoritarian who wouldn’t work well with Congress, education might be one area where Congress would gain influence. “My theory of how education policy will work, if Trump is elected, is that the details of policy more than ever before will be determined by Congress,” Vic Klatt, a lobbyist at the Penn Hill Group, told Education Week. “My view is that education is not an issue high on Trump’s list, and as a result, he’ll cede it to others.”
Jason Russell is a commentary writer for the Washington Examiner.
