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The 2016 presidential primaries are already well underway, which is exciting for those of us who enjoy them . But while we’ve heard considerable arguments over how to best intimidate Vladimir Putin, incinerate ISIS, restore “our” Judeo-Christian values, address income inequality, shore up public programs supporting the elderly, , and any number of other critically important issues, K–12 education has been comprehensively ignored. Other than , few candidates have taken up K–12 reforms beyond a few talking points.

While education website The 74 Million hosted , just two of the six participating candidates remain in the race. The website’s plans to hold a similar summit for the Democrats fell apart — . In a recent column for The 74 Million, I explain that K–12 education never matters much in presidential elections…and that :

Are you a progressive who believes that climate change is real and human-caused? That’s easy enough: vote for a Democrat! But wait! Do you also believe that school choice can help low-income families break the cycles of socioeconomic and racial privilege that ? The Democrats are .

It works both ways, of course. Are you a conservative who believes that federal taxes should come down—along with spending on public assistance for the poor? The Republicans have got you covered. But do you also believe that the country should increase its spending on ? While they’re , the Republicans aren’t too safe a bet as far as universal pre-K is concerned.

Ask yourself, then: are you willing to vote for a presidential candidate who shares your view of education but not your views on taxes, the national debt, foreign policy, and/or same-sex marriage? And even if you are…do you think most Americans are willing to ignore their other political convictions as education voters?

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