A small handful of prominent Democrats want their allies to rethink opposition to private school choice and embrace newfound opportunities. But is the party ready?ALEXANDER RUSSONOV 12, 2025Way back in the 2000s and early 2010s, Democrats For Education Reform (DFER) played a major role on the education scene, pushing for high standards, charter schools, and old-school accountability.
However, DFER’s struggles were already becoming obvious nearly a decade ago, and while quasi-public charter schools may be less controversial than they once were, education reform has been in full retreat since then.
Former Providence, Rhode Island mayor Jorge Elorza aims to change all that. As the new head of DFER, Elorza is calling for Democrats to to rethink their traditional opposition to public funding of private school choice.
“There’s nothing inherently conservative or Republican about private school choice,” says Elorza in an interview conducted before last week’s elections.
So far, there are only a few high-profile figures who have publicly embraced this position: Elorza, Arne Duncan, and Rahm Emanuel. And last week’s election results may discourage blue-state politicians and candidates from reconsidering their views.