Joe Biden needs a winning issue to save his struggling campaign. He has one in public school choice and would benefit from spotlighting it in his State of the Union address Thursday evening.
The president hasn’t spoken much on the issue since 2020, when he disparaged charter schools. That was a mistake then, as it would be today. Talking positively about the issue would attract working-class and low-income voters who can’t afford to leave their poorly performing public schools.
Charter schools are free, public and open to all. They have a track record of success. I’ve visited charters in every region of the country, and each has rendered the same complaint: No one outside their small community listens to them. From Rhode Island and Illinois to California and New York, lawmakers often attempt to block new charters or otherwise hamstring existing ones.
