We have never talked about what is the federal mission. Obvious enough, but noteworthy coming from Republicans, whom Democrats have regularly accused of being hostile to public schools, given conservatives' affection for government vouchers to pay private school tuition. They also envision Washington helping to produce better teachers. Another thrust would be to provide research and technical assistance on what works to improve school safety, a clear response to recent school shootings. Take school construction, for instance.
Republican polls show the same thing.
GOP lawmakers have generally resisted federal subsidies for school construction and hope to avoid taking a licking on this issue from Democrats. Then there's the matter of teachers. I have no doubt they're doing it for teachers unions. Probably not coincidentally, improving teacher quality is popular as a possible solution to student achievement problems, according to some polls. On this education issue, Republicans are better positioned, having picked up this trend in public opinion early.