Pete Buttigieg
The candidate is the mayor of South Bend, Indiana, a city with public schools that have been ravaged by the proliferation of charters and vouchers. And yet, we could not find any statements by its mayor criticizing the loss of funding caused by privatization. He attends fundraisers sponsored by prominent charter advocates.
2011 and 2015
Campaign finance data does not appear to be available online for Pete Buttigieg’s two mayoral campaigns.
Records from his 2011 campaign have allegedly been destroyed.
2019
Reed Hastings co-hosted a $500 a person funder for Buttigieg. Hastings has spent hundreds of millions to spread and support charter schools in California and beyond.
Journalist Rachel Cohen exposes his presence at fundraisers given by charter advocates.
2019
April
In response to a question and a follow up from reporters at an event at Northeastern University, Buttigieg said charter schools “have a place” as “a laboratory for techniques that can be replicated.”
July
In an email exchange the policy director told the Network for Public Education Action that Mayor Pete is against for-profit charter schools but does not support the NAACP moratorium because good charters like Roxbury Prep need to be able to replicate.
May
At a small, private campaign event in Iowa Buttigieg was asked about the privatization of public education through charters and vouchers. Specifically, he was asked when it was okay for public funds to be spent on private education. He responded that it was okay as long as there is a supplemental source of funding that doesn’t come at the expense of public education.
He said that the rise of for-profit charters needs be stopped, but that he doesn’t want to be “dogmatic” about “non-profit, University driven” charters.
December
The campaign refuses to come out against the Charter Schools Program other than to say for-profits should not receive money. (By law they cannot).
2019
At a small, private campaign event in Iowa Buttigieg was asked about the privatization of public education through charters and vouchers. Specifically, he was asked when it was okay for public funds to be spent on private education. He responded that it was okay as long as there is a supplemental source of funding that doesn’t come at the expense of public education.
In July, his policy director informed NPE Action that he is against vouchers because he has concluded they take away funding from public schools.
2018
During Buttigieg’s tenure as mayor the number of students utilizing vouchers to attend private schools in South Bend dramatically increased.
2017
The public school district lost enrollment for 4 straight years to vouchers and charter schools, triggering talk of cutting staff, eliminating programs and closing schools.
We can not however find any public statements made by the candidate related to vouchers.
2019
At his campaign kickoff event, Buttigieg said, “Empowering teachers means freedom, because you are not free in your own classroom if your ability to do your job is reduced to a number on a page.”
2019
Read Diane’s blog to learn why she says a Buttigieg administration would be a continuation of the failed Bush-Obama education agenda.
2019
Buttigieg presence at ed reform advocates’ fundraisers indicates he is forming relationships with privatization supporters.
Buttigieg’s husband has a Master’s degree in Education. He has taught drama to autistic students in Milwaukee, and has been a substitute teacher in Chicago and South Bend. Most recently he taught at a private Montessori school in South Bend. In
What do you appreciate the most about your child’s teacher? If you’re a teacher, what do you wish folks appreciated more about your profession? #TeacherAppreciationDay #TeacherAppreciationWeek #TeacherTalkTuesday
— Chasten Buttigieg (@Chas10Buttigieg) May 7, 2019
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