Former U.S. Ambassador Rahm Emanuel called for bipartisan education reform on Fox News Sunday, drawing on his tenure as Chicago mayor to argue that both major parties have failed American students. Emanuel warned that Republicans have abandoned public schools while Democrats sacrificed standards and accountability, leaving the nation’s education system in crisis.
In his appearance on the program, Emanuel shared lessons from his eight years leading Chicago Public Schools, during which he expanded access to universal pre-kindergarten and implemented sweeping high school reforms. When he took office, Secretary of Education William Bennett called Chicago the worst public school system in America; when he left, Stanford demographer Sean Reardon called it the best in the country, according to Emanuel’s account in a Brookings Institution podcast recorded in April 2026.
Emanuel’s education platform centers on returning schools to fundamentals. For elementary education, he emphasizes phonics instruction and early reading intervention, citing success in Mississippi and other Southern states that have adopted these approaches. For high schools, he advocates structural reform, including programs that allow students to graduate with college credit already earned, eliminating the need for parents to pay twice and keeping students intellectually engaged.
[STOCK: classroom reading instruction elementary school]
Emanuel has also proposed significant higher education reforms. In May 2026, he unveiled what he called a “grand bargain” for college affordability, including free tuition for households earning less than $200,000 annually and a three-year degree option to reduce costs. He has argued that the American dream has become unaffordable and that both parties have failed to address the mismatch between available jobs and trained workers.
On vocational education, Emanuel advocates redirecting resources to trades training. He has proposed a $10,000 signing bonus for military veterans entering skilled trades like carpentry and electrical work, arguing that employers across industries—from automotive to broadband to defense manufacturing—cannot fill well-paying positions because of a shortage of trained workers.
[STOCK: skilled trades apprenticeship vocational training]
Emanuel’s criticism of both parties reflects a broader tension in education politics. According to the Brookings transcript, he argues that Democrats abandoned standards and accountability after overemphasizing test-driven instruction, while Republicans have essentially given up on public schools by pushing vouchers and private alternatives. “My problem is both parties’ extremes,” Emanuel said. “No standards, no funding. Our kids are falling through the cracks.”
The 2028 presidential contender has positioned education reform as central to his political platform. In January 2026, he told the Washington Post that his party must focus on educational achievement rather than culture wars—a message he has repeated consistently across media appearances and speeches at universities including Dartmouth and Harvard.
Sources
- Fox News — Rahm Emanuel appearance on Fox News Sunday calling for bipartisan education reform and sharing Chicago mayoral lessons (Aug. 31, 2026)
- Brookings Institution — Podcast episode featuring Emanuel on education policy, both parties’ failures, and reform proposals (April 7, 2026)
- The New York Times — Coverage of Emanuel’s higher education reform plan including tuition proposals (May 26, 2026)
- The Dartmouth — Report on Emanuel’s announcement of higher education reforms at Dartmouth, including three-year degree option (May 29, 2026)
- Washington Post — Emanuel on Democrats’ need for education focus over culture wars (Jan. 21, 2026)
