Here’s how Biden’s win could help California school districts, teachers and students - San Francisco Chronicle

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After four years of school voucher talk under the Trump administration, the education community across California was giddy in the wake of Joe Biden’s presidential win, with his platform of more money for teachers, increased pandemic support and free college tuition.

“I’m excited for our country,” said state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, adding California has endured four years of White House threats to pull funding if the state didn’t toe the Trump line, by immediately reopening schools, for example. “Biden wants to be a partner.”

Biden’s education plan focuses on increasing school support, including a significant boost in what the federal government covers for special education services, while doubling the number of psychologists, counselors, nurses and social workers in schools.

A renowned Bay Area education expert, Linda Darling-Hammond, is leading the president-elect’s education transition team to set his plans in motion — a costly to-do list.

The president-elect’s goal is to triple the $15 billion currently spent on Title I programs schools serving a high number of low-income families. The money would come with strings attached, requiring districts to first use the money to give teachers competitive salaries.

He would like to cancel at least $10,000 in student debt per borrower because of the recession and help schools cover pandemic costs.

He also vowed to pass gun legislation to make schools safer.

Biden’s plan has generally relied on rolling back Trump tax cuts and increasing taxes on the wealthy and businesses to pay for it — a difficult proposition if the Senate remains a GOP majority.

“Who knows what Biden can get through Congress,” said Troy Flint, spokesman for the California School Boards Association. “We’ll see what he can do.”

That said, a number of Biden’s ideas would be beneficial to school communities across the political spectrum, Flint said.

Coronavirus testing, pandemic guidance and resources would make the top of most district lists as well as support for technology and broadband access, Flint said.

Biden has also supported fulfilling a decades-old federal promise to fund 40% of public school special education costs, quadruple what the federal government now covers in many states. That would free up about $4 billion in education spending in California.

Biden’s education plan is a dream platform for education labor unions as well as school leaders who have struggled to balance their budgets in the middle of a pandemic.

“We need someone who understand teachers need materials and tools not guns,” Thurmond said. “To me this is a reversal of everything President Trump has talked about.”

The California Teachers Association gushed at the Biden-Harris win Monday, saying the pair will prioritize fighting COVID-19 by providing science-based guidance for all sectors, including schools and colleges.

Biden has supported spending at least $88 billion to help pay for protective equipment, ventilation systems, smaller class sizes and other pandemic expenses.

At least one Bay Area education leaders is expected to play a significant role in helping fulfill Biden’s promises.

Darling-Hammond is not only heading up the president-elect’s education transition team and has been floated as a pick for Secretary of Education.

She was among a handful of Californians floated as possible cabinet picks under the Biden Administration, which included Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and California Attorney General Xavier Becerra.

Darling-Hammond declined to address her role Monday, referring questions to Biden representatives, although she told EdSource Sunday she was not interested in a Biden cabinet position.

Some California education experts hoped Darling-Hammond, who is also the president of the state Board of Education, was just being coy.

She is considered one of the most respected and knowledgeable education experts in the country, one who bridges the divide between traditionalists and reformers, said Ted Lempert, president of the Oakland-based Children Now, a research and advocacy organization.

She would mesh with Biden’s role as a uniter, he said.

“I’d be stunned if she wasn’t playing a lead role in the transition now,” said Lempert, a former state legislator. “It would be California’s loss, but she could help us a lot from D.C.”

Thurmond, who considers Kamala Harris a mentor, is also rumored to be on the list for Secretary of Education, although he said he doesn’t know anything about that, although “it’s nice to be mentioned.”

Jill Tucker is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jtucker@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jilltucker

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Here’s how Biden’s win could help California school districts, teachers and students - San Francisco Chronicle
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