The Candidates & Education

As a future educator, and a mother, education is very important to me. So that is my number one concern about the future president. We all vote about issues that are important to us, our passions. So I am going to post all of the candidates and thier views about education so that you are informed and can make an informed decision about who you think will do the best job! Here ys go, it is lengthy but important and worth reading. You can also find these articles at http://www.aacte.org/index.php?view=category&id=143%3A2008-presidential-candidates-education-platforms&option=com_content&Itemid=52 :


Senator Barack Obama


Reprinted with permission from The Committee for Education Funding, Washington, DC. Copyright 2008.
Senator Obama plans to increase annual education funding by $19 billion. He calls for $10 billion toward early childhood education. The Senator intends to create a “Zero to Five” plan, to which $10 billion of the $19 billion funding increase will be devoted. This plan will target children ages 0-5, providing educational opportunities through New Early Challenge Grants, increased funding for Head Start, quadrupled enrollment in Early Head Start, and extra support for working parents by doubling Child Care and Developmental Block Grants. He believes that children will achieve long-term success only if they are prepared for school, and early childhood education is the greatest opportunity for these achievements.
The remaining $9 billion will be allocated toward K-12 funding. Barack Obama will double funding for 21st Century Learning Centers and expand summer learning programs. In order to lower the national high school dropout rate, the Senator supports increased funding for after school, summer school, and college preparatory programs, including GEAR UP, TRIO, and UPWARD BOUND. Obama believes that a strong academic and social network will ensure that no student is able to fall through the cracks. He also plans to invest in a policy package that includes funding for charter schools, teacher performance-based pay, and better use of technology in the classroom.
Senator Obama knows that teachers who work in high- need schools deserve incentives and rewards. For this reason he intends to recruit a new generation of quality educators through Teacher Service Scholarships, which would pay for either four years of undergraduate or two years of graduate education in exchange for teaching in high- need fields or locations. Obama would also expand Teaching Residency Programs, which provide prospective teachers extra preparation for working in high-need areas. Under these plans, Obama hopes to supply 30,000 exceptionally well-prepared recruits to underserved schools every year.
Barack Obama has been a strong advocate for affordable education during his time in the U.S. Senate. If elected, he will expand the maximum Pell Grant to $5,400 and create the American Opportunity Tax Credit, a fully refundable credit of $4,000 for initial college costs. This credit would also subsidize twothirds of tuition costs at any public college or university, and would make community college tuition free for most Americans. Additionally, Senator Obama plans to completely eliminate the FAFSA student loan application, which he believes is too complicated and thus prevents millions of eligible students from applying for financial aid.
Senator Obama firmly believes that education funding has taken a back seat during the last eight years, arguing: “The No Child Left Behind Act left the funding behind.” Though he would reauthorize the law, he would also reform many of its shortcomings. Methods of assessment and accountability must be revised to accommodate individual student and school needs. Failing schools must not be punished, but supported, and teachers need to prepare students for more than just an end-of-the-year standardized test.


Senator John McCain


Reprinted with permission from The Committee for Education Funding, Washington, DC. Copyright 2008.
Senator McCain believes that the No Child Left Behind Act has been adequately funded and more money is not the answer. Instead, the Senator will reallocate existing funds authorized under the law. He proposes to assign 60 percent of Title II funds to provide incentives for teachers who work in high-need schools and 35 percent of Title II funds for professional teacher development and initiatives to enhance teachers’ knowledge of educational technology. The remaining 5 percent of Title II funds will be dedicated to an alternative teacher certification plan, which would recruit teachers who graduated in the top 25 percent of their college class and encourage them to work as teachers.
John McCain’s key education platform issue is school choice, arguing, “When a public system fails, parents only ask for a choice in the education of their children.” He believes that all families have a right to information concerning their child’s public school, and the opportunity to enroll their child in whatever type of school they desire. He is a strong proponent of school vouchers, which allow low- and middle- income families to transfer from a failing public school to a private faith-based or secular one. To this end, McCain proposes $20 million to expand the Washington D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program, which provides vouchers to low-income families in Washington to pay for any private school tuition, including religious schools.
Senator McCain also supports alternative schooling, such as home-schooling and virtual schools. He plans to spend $500 million on online learning, half of which will be spent on creating virtual schools and internet-based courses that complement, supplement, or even replace regular coursework. The other half of this funding would provide student grants up to $4,000 for online tutoring, including SAT and ACT preparatory courses.
Senator McCain wants to revise accountability measures in the NCLB as well. He believes that while teachers and schools are primarily responsible for student achievement, they still require resources not found within the school. To support students struggling to meet state standards, the Senator ensures immediate access to high-quality tutoring programs. His plan allows private educational service providers to receive certification directly from the federal government and market their tutoring services to parents. This system bypasses school districts when schools fail to meet NCLB standards, allowing more eligible families to take advantage of the service, which McCain argues is not adequately publicized.
Finally, Senator McCain hopes to eliminate family-planning sex education by increasing funding for abstinence-only sex education. He also promotes “English First” instruction, as opposed to bilingual education, and supports the student’s right to engage in voluntary prayer in school.


Governor Sarah Palin


Reprinted with permission from The Committee for Education Funding, Washington, DC. Copyright 2008.
Governor Palin made waves in Alaska when she overhauled the entire state school funding system. She brought more funds to rural and remote schools and stabilized district budgets using Alaska’s surplus oil and gas revenues. Palin also successfully geared more state funds toward special education, raising spending for students with special needs from $26,900 in fiscal year 2008 to $73, 840 per student by fiscal year 2011. She has pledged to be an advocate for special needs if elected Vice President.
Like her running mate, Governor Palin generally supports No Child Left Behind, but expresses that it needs to be more flexible in order to serve each state and school district. She is strongly behind Senator McCain in his call for school choice, as well as his incentive proposals for teachers working in highneed areas. Additionally, she steadfastly promotes abstinence-only sex education, and believes that science classes should teach creationism alongside evolution.


Senator Joseph Biden


Reprinted with permission from The Committee for Education Funding, Washington, DC. Copyright 2008.
Senator Biden is seen as a hero among national teachers unions. He stands firmly beside Senator Obama’s proposed No Child Left Behind reforms, as well as his intentions to improve high- need schools with more, well-qualified teachers. Senator Biden proposes to devote $3 billion in pay raises for teachers who work in high- need schools and $2 billion toward hiring more teachers to cut class sizes nationally. He also advocates a national $45,000 minimum starting salary for teachers.
Senator Biden also shares Obama’s goal of making college more accessible. During his time in the U.S. Senate, Senator Biden introduced the College Affordability and Creating Chances for Educational Success for Students Act of 2007, which would provide a $3,000 tax credit to offset tuition costs, and increase the number and maximum amount of Pell Grants. Biden also sponsored Kids 2000, a federal initiative that aims to provide educational technology to low-income and at-risk youth.


Obama vs. McCain


Reprinted with permission from The Committee for Education Funding, Washington, DC. Copyright 2008.
Barack Obama and John McCain’s education plans differ dramatically on several fronts. Senator Obama sees a larger roll for federal spending on education – his proposal to increase federal education spending by nearly one-third from the current $59 billion to $78 billion far surpasses the current Senate Labor- HHS-Education appropriations bill proposal of $61.8 billion for the 2009 fiscal year. Senator McCain opposes increasing discretionary spending, believing that the money is already there, it is just not being used effectively. McCain also rejects federal accountability standards in favor of voluntary statedetermined ones. Obama agrees with the fundamental objectives of NCLB, but believes assessment should be much broader and take into account individual school and student differences. Though they differ on particular reforms, either candidate will reauthorize the Act if elected.
The two senators also disagree on the issue of private school vouchers. Senator McCain strongly supports expanding public and private school choice through vouchers for faith-based or secular private schools. While he also favors school choice, Senator Obama definitively opposes private school vouchers and does not believe that public funds should go to private schools. He is, however, a supporter of charter schools and the NCLB public school transfer option. Obama proposes doubling funding for charter schools from $200 million to $400 million, replicating successful charter schools nationwide, and shutting down those that are ineffective. He believes these initiatives can provide greater opportunities to students whose local schools fail, while still remaining within the public school system.
The campaigns diverge on teacher incentives as well. McCain places heavy emphasis on rewarding teachers for student performance, and wants to give school administrators more freedom to reward a teacher through performance pay. Obama believes in rewarding teachers for their accomplishments, expertise, and skills rather than sole ly on their ability to improve student test scores. Both candidates support teacher incentives and rewards for working in high- need or underserved areas. Additionally, both candidates express interest in strengthening national math and science programs in order to make American students more competitive on an international academic level.