Tim Walz’s record highlights differences between Democrats, Republicans on education

When Vice President Kamala Harris selected Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate in the 2024 presidential election, she highlighted the stark contrast between Democratic and Republican positions on education.

As governor, Walz signed a law providing free breakfast and lunch to all public K-12 students in Minnesota, regardless of income. He signed budgets that boosted funding for schools and created a program that allows Minnesota students from families earning under $80,000 to attend public college for free.

Walz, 60, formerly taught high school geography and coached football in Mankato, Minnesota. He has earned the backing of fellow educators for his vice presidential bid.

“Gov. Walz is known as the ‘Education Governor’ because he has been an unwavering champion for public school students and educators, and an ally for working families and unions,” the National Education Association said in a statement after Walz’s selection. “He has a track record of getting things done to make people’s lives better.” 

Republican vice presidential nominee Sen. J.D. Vance has attacked K-12 teachers for spreading “radical” ideas.

“As we saw from the radical Left’s culture war waged during COVID-19 and the continued CRT indoctrination in our kids’ schools, it’s clear that we should never let politics drive public health decisions and deprive our kids of a good education,” Vance wrote in 2022, according to Education Week.

Walz’s appearance on the Democratic ticket with Harris also underscores a clear distinction between their campaign and the policies supported by former President Donald Trump and the rest of the Republican Party. Project 2025 — the 922-page policy document drafted with the input of more than 100 former members of Trump’s administration — calls for dismantling the U.S. Department of Education and siphoning federal education funding into vouchers that parents will be able to use to pay for private school tuition.

Josh Cowen, author of the upcoming book “The Privateers: How Billionaires Created a Culture War and Sold School Vouchers,” said Harris’ choice of Walz as her running mate “puts universal school meals against universal school vouchers on the presidential campaign.”

“Hungry kids learn worse. Universal meals actually have big payoffs for things like test scores, attendance rates, staying in school,” Cowen said. “Whereas vouchers are some of the most dreadful impacts we’ve ever seen in research on any topic.”

This November, Cowen said, voters will have the opportunity to choose between a ticket that wants to improve conditions for students and teachers and one that wants to defund public schools.

“Do you think the way to improve education in this country is for whole-child wraparound-type approaches, helping hungry kids, investing in heating and cooling ventilation systems for schools, or do you just give everyone a coupon and tell them to go on their way?” Cowen said.