--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You can't create a successful politics of…" description: "\"You can't create a successful politics of support for public education on the basis of asking voters not to care about skills, and tests that measure s..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e4/nicholas-lemann-45962_asking_you-can-t-create-a-successful-politics-o_2020282.jpg" --- # You can't create a successful politics of support for… ![“You can't create a successful politics of support for public education on the basis of asking voters not to care about skills, and tests that measure skills, at all.” quote by Nicholas Lemann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e4/nicholas-lemann-45962_asking_you-can-t-create-a-successful-politics-o_2020282.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e4/nicholas-lemann-45962_asking_you-can-t-create-a-successful-politics-o_2020282.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e4/nicholas-lemann-45962_asking_you-can-t-create-a-successful-politics-o_2020282.jpg) > “You can't create a successful politics of support for public education on the basis of asking voters not to care about skills, and tests that measure skills, at all.” [Nicholas Lemann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-lemann/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Support for public education cannot rely on voter apathy toward skill assessment; accountability and skill measurement are essential. **In simple terms:** Education support must include skill testing and accountability. Key Takeaway Promote policies that value skill measurement. Themes education policy accountability Mood critical thoughtful Type policy analytical When to use this quote - school board meetings - legislative hearings - parent forums - teacher training Key Concepts assessment public opinion political strategy Questions to Reflect On - How can we balance skill testing with broader education goals? - What incentives motivate voters to care about education quality? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on testing can neglect holistic learning. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Asking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/asking/) [Asking Voters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/asking-voters-3656380/) [Bases](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bases/) [Care](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/care/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Politics Support](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics-support-2972526/) [Public education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/public-education/) [Skills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/skills/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) [Successful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/successful/) [Successful Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/successful-politics-3656381/) [Support](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/support/) [Tests](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tests/) [Voters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/voters/) [Voters Care](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/voters-care-257584/) ## Related quotes > [The core of my platform is to change the role of money in politics, support public education and break up monopoly power. 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But they also want somebody who's going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-schumer/jewish-voters-care-they-want-someone-who-s-good-on-israel-and-who-s/) [Charles Schumer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-schumer/) > [Voters care only that student loans remain freely available and that they cost taxpayers as little as possible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-noah/voters-care-only-that-student-loans-remain-freely-available-and-that/) [Timothy Noah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-noah/) > [Bombay is far ahead of Bengal in the matter of female education. I have visited some of the best schools in Bengal and Bombay,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keshub-chandra-sen/bombay-is-far-ahead-of-bengal-in-the-matter-of-female-education-i/) [Keshub Chandra Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keshub-chandra-sen/) > [We are afraid to face the hard questions. We are willing to tackle drugs, crime, and public education only if it doesn't cost us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-irwin-miller/we-are-afraid-to-face-the-hard-questions-we-are-willing-to-tackle/) [J. Irwin Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-irwin-miller/) > [Our public education system does a great job. I don't think it's broken. We aren't interested in doing reform for reform's sake. I believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-juneau/our-public-education-system-does-a-great-job-i-don-t-think-it-s/) [Denise Juneau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-juneau/) > [I think Democrats are right. We fight for the American dream, for the environment, for privacy rights, a woman's right to choose, a good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-boxer/i-think-democrats-are-right-we-fight-for-the-american-dream-for-the/) [Barbara Boxer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-boxer/) > [ Randi Weingarten, head of the American Federation of Teachers, calls \[Betsy\] DeVos the most ideological, anti-public education nominee since the creation of the U.S.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claudio-sanchez/randi-weingarten-head-of-the-american-federation-of-teachers-calls/) [Claudio Sanchez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claudio-sanchez/) ## More by Nicholas Lemann > [I am not against standardized tests. There are tests and tests and tests, and, to simplify, the ones I favor are criterion-referenced tests of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-lemann/i-am-not-against-standardized-tests-there-are-tests-and-tests-and/) [Nicholas Lemann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-lemann/) > [Profound question is how do you measure the non-skills component of what goes on in schools: values, curiosity, critical thinking, and so on. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-lemann/profound-question-is-how-do-you-measure-the-non-skills-component-of/) [Nicholas Lemann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-lemann/) > [One of the most consistent findings about low performing schools and students is that "home variables" (parental income and education, etc.) are more predictive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-lemann/one-of-the-most-consistent-findings-about-low-performing-schools-and/) [Nicholas Lemann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-lemann/) > [I am always suspicious of the formulation that "politics" has prevented a great idea from being enacted by government. 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The relationship just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-lemann/in-the-current-environment-attributing-low-student-performance-to/) [Nicholas Lemann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-lemann/) [Explore all 8 Nicholas Lemann quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-lemann/) ## More Asking quotes > [Why did Erich von Stronheim leave Germany? Why did Hitchcock leave England? If you were a director you'd like to work in Hollywood too.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roman-polanski/why-did-erich-von-stronheim-leave-germany-why-did-hitchcock-leave/) [Roman Polanski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roman-polanski/) > [And in your new lives you'll have to live entirely for that one sensation-that of imminent truth. And you're going to have to holler…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-coupland/and-in-your-new-lives-you-ll-have-to-live-entirely-for-that-one/) [Douglas Coupland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-coupland/) > [“Stop asking yourself how or why and tell yourself you can." - Charmainism”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charmaine-smith-ladd/stop-asking-yourself-how-or-why-and-tell-yourself-you-can-charmainism/) [Charmaine Smith Ladd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charmaine-smith-ladd/) > [Closing his eyes, he sent up a prayer to anyone who was listening, asking please, for God's sake, stop sending him signals that they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-ward/closing-his-eyes-he-sent-up-a-prayer-to-anyone-who-was-listening/) [J.R. 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It's like asking: 'Can women breathe in and out?'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-walters/there-were-people-asking-can-women-be-funny-people-still-ask-that-it/) [Julie Walters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-walters/) > [Whether that's speaking up in your job or asking for a promotion or saying, 'I think I can do that.' 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