Conservatives & Education: Targeted and Practical Reforms Best

Last Tuesday night was exciting for conservatives, especially those passionate about education. Glenn Youngkin’s win in the Virginia gubernatorial race promised an opportunity to end a long period of frustration with the state’s schools. In fact, it quickly became conventional wisdom in conservative circles that Youngkin’s victory showed education was now a winning issue for the GOP nationwide.

But the Right should hit pause on that assessment and recognize that there’s a world of difference between campaigning and governing. Education won’t be a boon to Republican candidates for long if the party’s leaders are unable to transition from talking about it to responsibly leading on it from positions of authority. Governor-elect Youngkin has an outstanding chance to serve as a model for other elected Republicans seeking to reform education policy, but he and his team — and the broader conservative community — must now capitalize on the opportunity provided by voters.

About the Author

Andy Smarick

Andy Smarick is a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute. He writes about conservatism and public service at his Substack Governing Right.

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Last Tuesday night was exciting for conservatives, especially those passionate about education. Glenn Youngkin’s win in the Virginia gubernatorial race promised an opportunity to end a long period of frustration with the state’s schools. In fact, it quickly became conventional wisdom in conservative circles that Youngkin’s victory showed education was now a winning issue for the GOP nationwide.

But the Right should hit pause on that assessment and recognize that there’s a world of difference between campaigning and governing. Education won’t be a boon to Republican candidates for long if the party’s leaders are unable to transition from talking about it to responsibly leading on it from positions of authority. Governor-elect Youngkin has an outstanding chance to serve as a model for other elected Republicans seeking to reform education policy, but he and his team — and the broader conservative community — must now capitalize on the opportunity provided by voters.