August 6, 2025
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In a new opinion essay in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Searcy calls for bold center-left leadership to transform public education while serving every student, particularly Black, Brown, and low-income communities
Searcy: “The 2026 election offers Democrats and our allies a critical opportunity to rebuild our relationship with voters. We can inspire hope for a better future by investing today in a public education system that’s made strong because it demands excellence for every student”
Op-ed highlights CSPS Action’s mission to support courageous elected officials who combine progressive values with evidence-based approaches to student success
ICYMI in The New York Times: CSPS Action an emerging “third camp,” “a political action committee and a think tank that will reject vouchers while continuing to push for the expansion of the public charter school sector” [and] “for all schools to be held accountable for student learning outcomes” – MORE HERE
Read the Alisha’s Full Op-Ed in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution HERE
ATLANTA, GA – In case you missed it, Center for Strong Public Schools Action Fund (CSPS Action) Co-Founder and CEO Alisha Thomas Searcy recently published an opinion essay in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution unpacking the critical opportunity Democrats have to lead on public education by offering voters “a bold, clear vision for transforming public education” that combines progressive values with evidence-based approaches to improving student outcomes. In the opinion piece, Searcy draws on her experience as a former Georgia state lawmaker and school superintendent to argue that the current moment demands urgent action from Democratic leaders who can articulate a compelling vision for strengthening public schools while ensuring they work for every student they serve, especially those most consistently left behind.
“While voters generally trust Democrats more than Republicans on the issue of education, the public’s enthusiasm for the Democratic Party is waning, just as a majority of Americans believe our public education system is headed in the wrong direction,” Searcy writes. “This is a critical moment for Democrats to offer voters a bold, clear vision for transforming public education.“
The op-ed comes as CSPS Action gains national attention for its unique positioning as what The New York Times calls a “third camp” in Democratic education politics—one that bridges progressive values with a data-driven focus on student outcomes and an iron-clad commitment to public education.
In her essay, Searcy emphasizes that CSPS Action represents a new approach for Democrats: “Now more than ever, states and communities are on the front lines of determining the future of public education. That’s why CSPS Action—and our partner, nonpartisan think tank Center for Strong Public Schools—will focus our work at the state level, in places like Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee and Texas, where both the threats to undermine public education and the opportunities to strengthen it are greatest.“
The op-ed outlines CSPS Action’s policy priorities, including cultivating effective teachers and leaders, ensuring accountability and transparency, prioritizing rigor and readiness for every student, guaranteeing equitable funding and resources, and embracing public school options and evidence-based practices.
Looking ahead to the 2026 election cycle, Searcy argues in the op-ed that Democrats have a winning opportunity: “The 2026 election offers Democrats and our allies a critical opportunity to rebuild our relationship with voters. We can inspire hope for a better future by investing today in a public education system that’s made strong because it demands excellence for every student.“
CSPS Action has announced plans to make substantial investments in the 2026 midterm elections, including Georgia’s Democratic primaries for Governor and State School Superintendent, as well as key state legislative races across Georgia, Texas, Alabama, and Tennessee.
For more information about the Center for Strong Public Schools visit strongschoolsnow.org, and for more information about the Center for Strong Public Schools Action Fund, visit strongschoolsaction.org.
Read Alisha Thomas Searcy’s full op-ed in the AJC HERE or below:
OPINION: Democrats in the South can win on public education if we stop playing defense
It’s time to boldly reimagine what our public schools can achieve for our kids. Democrats can lead the way.
By Alisha Thomas Searcy
Aug 6, 2025
As a former school superintendent, state lawmaker and, most importantly, parent, I’ve seen both the extraordinary potential and the persistent failures of our public education system, particularly when it comes to equipping many of our Black, brown, and low-income students to excel in their careers and in life.
Fixing these failures is only made harder by right-wing politicians in Washington and beyond who are more focused on waging culture wars and dismantling our public schools than, for instance, addressing the fact that the majority of our nation’s eighth graders aren’t reading proficiently or performing well in math.
Making matters worse, while voters generally trust Democrats more than Republicans on the issue of education, the public’s enthusiasm for the Democratic Party is waning, just as a majority of Americans believe our public education system is headed in the wrong direction.
This is a critical moment for Democrats to offer voters a bold, clear vision for transforming public education. We must offer a proactive agenda for public education that combines a relentless focus on high student outcomes with an unyielding commitment to serving every student — and we’ll need strong leadership to make this vision real.
That’s why I have announced the launch of the Center for Strong Public Schools Action Fund. CSPS Action is a new home for courageous elected officials who want to use their center-left values to reimagine and transform public education for every child.
Focus on education policies that put students first
Now more than ever, states and communities are on the front lines of determining the future of public education. That’s why CSPS Action — and our partner, nonpartisan think tank Center for Strong Public Schools — will focus our work at the state level, in places like Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee and Texas, where both the threats to undermine public education and the opportunities to strengthen it are greatest.
Center for Strong Public Schools Action will focus on building political power to change public education by electing and supporting champions who will fight for all our students.
Meanwhile, our partner, Center for Strong Public Schools, a 501(c)(3), will elevate important policy research and connect elected officials with public education thought leaders to advance innovative, data-driven ideas that improve our public schools.
CSPS Action is building a network of elected officials who can learn from each other’s successes and push policies that put students first. That means lifting up our best teachers while addressing the hard truth that not every classroom is serving every child as well as it should. It means championing high-performing charter schools and other public education options.
It means demanding accountability in our systems so we know how students are truly performing and then using that information to close gaps. Most importantly, it means adults having high expectations for every student while putting resources where they’re needed most.
Public education is America’s great equalizer
Democrats and our center-left allies have everything we need to win on this issue: We understand how education is a gateway to personal and financial freedom, and we believe in fairness, opportunity and data-driven decision-making — not only because they’re morally right but also because they power student success.
That’s why we believe CSPS Action can provide new, critical leadership for the center left by refocusing needed attention on cultivating effective well-prepared schoolteachers and leaders; ensuring accountability and transparency to achieve high student outcomes; prioritizing rigor and readiness for every student; guaranteeing equitable funding, resources and responsiveness to student needs; and embracing public school options, innovation and evidence-based practices. These aren’t just principles the public can support — they are principles that we know will strengthen our public schools and help every student fulfill their potential, not just those from the richest ZIP codes.
Public education must deliver on its promise as our democracy’s great equalizer, and that makes strong leadership even more pivotal in this moment. The 2026 election offers Democrats and our allies a critical opportunity to rebuild our relationship with voters.
We can inspire hope for a better future by investing today in a public education system that’s made strong because it demands excellence for every student. To that end, CSPS Action will provide leadership, policy expertise, political support, and community to the Democrats and center-left elected officials brave enough to meet this moment by pushing for transformational change in public education.
If Democrats claim education as our defining issue and lead with conviction, we can win the fight for strong public education, and we can win the future for all of our children — for generations to come.
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About the Founders:
Alisha Thomas Searcy served six terms as the first African American elected to the Georgia House of Representatives from Cobb County, and is a former school superintendent of a network of public charter schools in metro Atlanta. She brings over 20 years of experience as a non-profit executive, policymaker, and education leader, and is a frequent media contributor on politics and education issues.
Garry Jones moved to Texas more than a decade ago and has remained deeply engaged in Democratic politics at state, district, and local levels. Prior to co-founding CSPS Action, he served as Executive Director of a statewide education advocacy organization in Texas and spent over three years as Chief of Staff in the Texas Senate, successfully managing the state’s most competitive Senate race in 2018.
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