Big ideas for a new day 

The poet Thomas Fuller is credited for the expression “It is always darkest just before the day dawneth.” I have always loved this saying because while it anticipates a brighter, more hopeful day, it also acknowledges the absolute darkness that can come before. I don’t know about you, but if I had to describe 2020 in just one word, my choice would be “dark.”  

The good news, however, is that 2021 is finally here and a bright, hopeful new day is dawning. In Washington, the clearest example of hope is when coalitions, organizations, and special interest groups of all sorts issue policy recommendations to the incoming administration. After four years of President Donald Trump and Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, many groups that support and advocate for public schools are champing at the bit to get their ideas out there. Although COVID-19 recovery is going to dominate much of the Biden administration’s first year, policy recommendations are still important and can have a significant impact on federal policies and programs. Here are some of the big ideas that I’ve been hearing about here in the nation’s capital. 

The Center for American Progress (CAP) left the gate early and issued a First 100 Days Agenda for K-12 Education (Sargrad et al., 2020) last October. Although most, if not all, of CAP’s suggestions would have likely fallen on deaf ears if Trump had won the election, a Biden administration should be more inclined to pay close attention to the five priority areas on CAP’s agenda: