The signals from both the Republican and Democratic political campaigns have not been good for those who seek excellence in our K-12 school system. Just as bad are polling numbers from the 2016 Education Next survey administered to representative samples of both the public and the teaching force in May and June. Common Core standards and school vouchers — poster children for school reform — are both in trouble. But beneath the surface lie some hopeful notes.

First, the bad news for reformers. A leaked Democratic National Committee email identified Common Core as “a political third rail” — like the electric rail that drives the subway, touch it and you die. “Get rid of it,” the platform committee was told. Meanwhile, Republicans congratulated the handful of “states which have successfully repealed” Common Core. It’s not just the politicos who are in a killing mood. Public backing for the standards slid from 81 percent to 50 percent between 2013 and 2016. (Percentages exclude those taking a neutral position). Among Republicans, only 39 percent favor Common Core, down from 78 percent just four years earlier. The drop among Democrats — from 84 percent to 60 percent — is also steep. Teacher favorability has fallen as well — from three-quarters to less than one-half over the four-year period.