High School

Education Reform from Top Political Candidates

By Tim ⋅ July 9, 2008 ⋅  Email This Post ⋅  Print This Post ⋅ Post a comment

The primary season is over and the United States now has their two candidates for the general election for President. Republican John McCain will oppose Democrat Barack Obama on November 3rd for the highest office of the executive branch. With any new presidency comes reform and indeed “Change” has been a word used by both parties in regards to a number of issues. Today we are going to look at how both candidates stack up in their political views of how education should be reformed.

With a heavy focus on the lack of funding in the No Child Left Behind Act and the need for teacher retention programs, Barack Obama outlines multiple ways to fuel growth and prosperity in the education system. Obama supports increasing funding in Head Start programs as well as the No Child Left Behind Act and improving the assessment process so that schools that fall behind are supported and not penalized. Obama also supports multiple outreach programs to address the problem of high-school dropouts, summer learning opportunities, and quality after-school activities to engage students. In a recent speech on education, Obama stated that “Education is now the currency of the Information Age. It’s no longer just a pathway to opportunity and success - it’s a pre-requisite.”

Education reform also happens to be a heavy topic on the republican side. John McCain, who will speak to the NAACP on July 16th on multiple issues to include education reform, supports a variety of incentives to make sure that school systems are addressing the needs of students today. Unlike Obama, McCain does not support increasing funding for the NCLBA, but would rather address where the money is currently being spent. Education advisor Lisa Keegan recently told the Associated Press that “McCain would reallocate how the money is spent. For example, more would go toward merit-pay programs for teachers. School districts are increasingly experimenting with programs like that, in part because of a Bush administration program that helps pay for the initiatives.” McCain also supports a voucher program for poor students in failing schools.

With just a few short months to go as the general election begins to really heat up it will be interesting to watch as the candidates begin debating and campaigning. With the United States facing increased global competition and an eye on the current recession it has become more and more important to look towards the next wave of students entering and exiting our education system for a better economy. Whichever candidate takes the position next year will need to support a diverse range or programs to promote education reform and training for today’s educators.

Tags: politics