Opinion: Philadelphia English teacher compares and contrasts Harris & Trump

As an English teacher, at the core of my teaching is critical thinking – giving students the tools they need to think critically, to expand their views, and more broadly speaking live a life that they feel fulfills and empowers them. To be a successful teacher requires, of course, skill and expertise that is developed over time. 

But to be a successful teacher, to truly set our young people up for success, public schools must be fully funded. And every child in every neighborhood must have a quality public school that serves everyone and builds community. 

And to that end, being a successful teacher is actually far more than knowing conventions of poetry or proper MLA citations (though those are very important!). Families, students, and staff must be able to count on their school districts and their elected officials to deliver on the resources our students need and deserve. Beyond providing resources, we must ensure that the values that are upheld in our schools are ones that are rooted in fundamental freedom.

It is through that lens that I look at the upcoming presidential election. Which candidate leads with the unwavering belief in, and commitment to fighting for, freedom? Being an English teacher, let’s look at this as a bit of a “compare and contrast” exercise. 

The contrast between Vice President Kamala Harris and her opponent, disgraced former president and the morally bankrupt Donald Trump, could not be more evident. Specifically, let’s explore their approaches to public education. 

As Vice President Harris said, “While you teach students about our nation’s past, these extremists attack the freedom to learn and acknowledge our nation’s true and full history. We want to ban assault weapons, and they want to ban books. Can you imagine?” 

As a society, we cannot say we are about the children if we do not actually invest in our young people, teach honest history, and give our students the freedom to be themselves.

As President, Kamala Harris will build on the Biden-Harris administration delivering historic investments in public education in the wake of COVID, alleviating student debt, and outlining a transformative plan for public education. And she will do that with Vice President Tim Walz, teacher and coach, and a candidate diametrically opposed to Trump’s noxious running mate JD Vance. 

I believe in the power of text to help students (and adults!) explore the world. Reading can truly be a great unifier, and reading can provide lessons in empathy. So while students across the nation live in fear of the next book ban or bigoted policy, I am committed to making sure that I spend my free time fighting for a candidate that believes in my students’ and my fundamental rights. 

We don’t need to wonder how far Trump would go if he secured a second term. When Donald Trump was in office (before his historic firing), he installed an absolutely odious figure as the head of the Department of Education. In Betsy DeVos, he gave the keys to the DOE to an out-of-touch megadonor that has invested outrageous sums of money in efforts to dismantle public education and implement discriminatory voucher schemes that shortchange Black and Brown students, students with disabilities, LGBTQIA+ students, and students experiencing poverty. DeVos did everything she could to ensure that the students I teach did not have access to an equitable system of public education. 

Given a second term, Project 2025, an extension of Trump, would go even further and abolish the federal department of education. These right wing extremists have nothing but nefarious intentions, and they present a clear danger to our future.

Before I close, I would be remiss not to note that I am a proud member of the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers. Having served on the Executive Board and having been my school’s Building Representative, I have seen the impact our collective bargaining rights have had on our young people. We have been able to fight for, and win, investments in public education. And we have joined together in solidarity to fight for our working conditions, which are our students’ learning conditions. Vice President Harris sees and recognizes the value of our union and what it represents.

We have an historic opportunity before us to elect a President that believes in fundamental rights. I believe in a tomorrow that is joyful and uplifting. As Vice President Harris says, it is time for us to “turn the page” on Donald Trump. (And as an English teacher, I love a good idiom, especially a book-related one! But even more, as a human being, I love the promise of turning the page on hate and division.)