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Where Candidates Stand On Education

Posted on: Tuesday, 14 October 2008, 08:00 CDT | Related Video

By Greg Toppo, USA TODAY

If there's one feature that defines the presidential debate on education, it's this: near silence.

The USA's teetering economy and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have all but squeezed out education, a topic important to previous elections.

Sen. John McCain focused on it in two speeches to civil rights groups last summer. Sen. Barack Obama, meanwhile, has spoken in detail about schools more often than his rival -- his campaign lists 12 education speeches in the past 16 months.

But compared to other topics, the relative silence on education is troubling to many observers, since McCain and Obama differ sharply in several ways.

"I think it's a secondary issue," says Thomas Toch, of Education Sector, a Washington, D.C., think tank. "It's been disappointing but not surprising."

The two split most notably on how much federal funding they believe schools can expect in 2009 and beyond. Obama wants $18 billion in new money, including $10 billion for early childhood education. McCain says schools shouldn't expect -- nor do they need -- more than the $59billion in discretionary spending they now receive.

They also have different visions of what drives schools to improve. Obama focuses on improving teacher quality. McCain cites competition from taxpayer-supported private schools along with independently and publicly funded charter schools.

Both have steered clear of talking in detail about No Child Left Behind, President Bush's education reform law that has become "a dirty word," says Jane Hannaway of the Urban Institute.

The 2002 law has pumped billions of dollars into schools and helped raise basic skills but is derided for narrowing schools' curricula. As a result, she says, neither candidate risks angering voters by mentioning the law: "They don't want to go near it."

Here's a look at the candidates' education stands:

Teacher recruitment:

Obama - In a key speech in Ohio in September, Obama talked of "recruiting, retaining and rewarding an army of new teachers." He wants to help schools hire about 30,000 a year, mostly in hard-to-staff schools, in demanding subjects such as math, science and special education. He's proposing expanded mentoring programs, "Teacher Residency Programs," a "Career Ladder" initiative and college scholarships for teachers who commit to teaching in a high-need field or school for at least four years.

McCain - In his nomination acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention, McCain said, "Let's remove barriers to qualified instructors, attract and reward good teachers, and help bad teachers find another line of work." He wants 60% of federal Title II teacher funding to pay for "incentive bonuses" for high-performing teachers in areas such as math and science; 35% would go to principals to pay for training to "enhance the ability of teachers to perform in today's technology-driven environment."

Federal funding, No Child Left Behind:

Obama - Says Congress must "fix the failures of No Child Left Behind" by giving school districts promised funding -- and by giving states the funding they need "to finally meet their commitment to special education." He wants to add $18 billion a year to federal education spending, which he'd pay for by cutting "wasteful and unnecessary spending," including earmarks. Obama also wants to double U.S. investment in educational research and development.

McCain - Says he'll freeze discretionary spending -- including most education spending -- and believes that No Child Left Behind is adequately funded. McCain wants to tweak No Child Left Behind to give students in struggling schools "immediate access" to federally funded tutoring; private tutoring companies could market directly to parents.

Charter schools, school choice:

Obama - Wants to expand federal funding for charter schools from $236 million to $450 million. He says he'd "work with all our nation's governors to hold all our charter schools accountable," adding: "Charter schools that are successful will get the support they need to grow; charters that aren't will get shut down." He also wants to expand non-profit child care, parenting and education efforts such as the Harlem Children's Zone in New York to other cities.

McCain - While he hasn't proposed a national voucher, McCain wants to expand the Washington, D.C., Opportunity Scholarship Program, a congressionally funded voucher for more than 1,900 low-income students; he'd expand it more than 50% to serve nearly 1,000 more families. He'd spend $500 million on "new virtual schools" and online courses, including dual-enrollment courses that allow high schoolers to earn college credit. He also wants to give low-income students up to $4,000 for online courses.

Early childhood education:

Obama - Proposes a $10 billion "Zero to Five" plan that would quadruple the number of slots in Early Head Start, increase Head Start funding and improve the quality of both; he'd make states compete to create or expand child care and education for pregnant women and children. He'd "encourage" states to adopt voluntary universal preschool; he'd expand the Child and Development Care Tax Credit, making it refundable and allowing low-income families to get up to a 50% credit for child care expenses.

McCain - Proposes no new funding, saying there is "no shortage of federal programs" targeting early childhood. He'd coordinate many of them, focus funding on "the neediest children" and require federal programs to focus on school readiness. McCain would also name Head Start centers with proven records as "Centers for Excellence in Head Start." They'd get $200,000 annually to expand offerings and improve early childhood education state- and city-wide.

College affordability:

Obama - Supported a 2007 law that raised the maximum Pell Grant for low-income college students from $4,050 to $5,400. Would eliminate Federal Family Education Loan program, which subsidizes private lenders that offer government-backed loans. He'd strengthen the federal Direct Loan program, which requires loans to be provided directly by the government. Obama also proposes a $4,000 tax credit for tuition and fees. To get the credit, students must put in 100 hours of public service.

McCain - Supported a 2007 law that raised the maximum Pell Grant for low-income college students from $4,050 to $5,400. McCain wants to expand the Federal Family Education Loan program, which gives subsidies to private lenders that offer government-backed loans. He'd simplify federal financial aid, saying "too many programs and a complicated application process deter many eligible students from seeking student aid." He'd also simplify the tax benefits of families paying for college.

(c) Copyright 2008 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc.

Source: USA TODAY

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