Party Platform Comparison Part 3: Education

This month we tackle one of the most important areas of government administration. The policies that govern the way the next generation is educated can have enormous consequences for the future. So take a look at what each party has to say about this topic.

Democrat
The Nebraska Democratic platform includes many more statements on education than we can summarize here. They see education as more of a public endeavor, rather than only the parents having an interest in their children’s learning. Because of this, their positions on education are generally in favor of increasing government involvement.

Nebraska Democrats…
● Support public schools, public school teachers, local control by public school districts,
and an elected State Board of Education (pg. 12)
● Oppose charter schools (pg. 12)
● Support “school choice for all Nebraska families,” but oppose the allocation of public
funds toward school vouchers, tax credits, or scholarships (pg. 12)
● Support “a community approach” to provide students with access to technology for
school purposes (pg. 12)
● Support providing students with “mental health days” (pg. 13)
● Support funding for the Individual Disabilities Education Act (pg. 13)
● Want to allocate funds “for the behavioral and mental health needs of students” (pg. 13)
● Will fight for student loan forgiveness (pg. 14)
● Support policies that promote staff diversity (pg. 14)
● Support STEM for preK-12 students (pg. 12)
● “...support age appropriate, comprehensive, and inclusive sex education, with a full
range of family planning services for students aged fifth grade through High School” (pg.
13)

Republican
Nebraska Republicans place emphasis on parental choice and involvement in their children’s education. They believe that the family should have much more influence in education than they do now. Republicans also emphasize the teaching of traditional American values, instead of foreign customs and religions.

Nebraska Republicans…
● Believe that parents and guardians should be the ones making decisions about their
children’s education (pg. 4)
● Believe that local school boards should have control over public education, rather than
state or federal agencies (pg. 4)
● Support the administration of the SAT or ACT to all 11th-graders in Nebraska in order to
assess academic achievement (pg. 4)
● Believe that public schools should engage in “moral training based on principles
established by God…” (pg. 4)
● Oppose the teaching of Sharia law in public schools (pg. 4)
● Believe that “our country’s basic institution” is the family, and, therefore, families should
be encouraged to have a larger role in education (pg. 5)
● Oppose the “use of public schools and finances to teach principles hostile to the
founding principles, native customs and legitimate history of the United States” such as
“Sharia law, the 1619 Project, and Critical Race Theory” (pg. 5)
● Believe that parents have the right “to personally observe all classroom instruction and
activities” (pg. 5)
● “Strongly support the teaching of the scientific, biologically verifiable X and Y
chromosomal definition of male and female at birth, and the use of locker rooms, sports
team qualifications, and restrooms based on the same definition” (pg. 5)
● Are against testing for “physical, psychological, emotional or developmental disabilities
without parental consent” (pg. 5)
● Support the use of free market competition in education with alternatives to public
schools (like private, parochial, and home schools) and support a tax credit or voucher
program to better facilitate that competition

 

Libertarian:
Nebraska Libertarians believe that “more diversity of choice” through a free market of schools would be the best way to provide education. They believe that competition between schools will lead to greater quality, better accountability, and more efficiency. They say that “the education of children is a parental responsibility” and they want to restore parental authority in determining how children will be educated, and how funds are spent in regards to education. (sec. 2.12)

Legal Marijuana Now:
The official platform of the Legal Marijuana Now party is the U.S. Bill of Rights. They have not
stated an official opinion on this issue.

 

Official party platforms:

Democratic Party:
https://nebraskademocrats.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/2022-Nebraska-Democratic-Party-Platform.04.01.22.fnl-1.pdf

Republican Party:
https://ne.gop/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/NEGOP-Platform-2021.pdf

Libertarian Party:
https://lpne.org/platform/

Legal Marijuana Now Party:
https://www.legalmarijuananowparty.com/party-constitution