Edwards Calls For Universal Preschool

(AP)  Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards rolled out a program for reforming primary education in the United States on Friday, proposing to pay teachers up to $15,000 more in high poverty areas and initiating universal preschool.

Edwards was to detail the proposals, which also include longer school years and reforming No Child Left Behind, later in the day in a speech at a Des Moines middle school.

In a copy of his policy statement provided to The Associated Press, Edwards said giving all children an equal chance to get a quality education is a commitment that is at the core of his plan to build a country "where everyone has a chance to succeed."

He said schools are still separate and unequal 50 years after a Supreme Court ruling required desegregation in public schools.

"No longer legally separated by race, our children are sorted by economics, often with a racial or ethnic dimension. At the same time, our children are preparing for unprecedented global economic competition," Edwards said in the policy statement.

He criticized the Bush administration's No Child Left Behind law, saying it's not working and needs a radical overhaul.

Rather than requiring students to take cheap standardized tests, Edwards said assessments that measure higher-order thinking skills must be developed, including open-ended essays, oral examinations, projects and experiments.

Edwards' plan calls for federal funding for the creation of universal preschool for all children when they turn 4. The preschools will teach skills students will need in school, including language abilities and introductions to early math, reading and other academic concepts.

The program, which will be voluntary, will begin in low-income neighborhoods where schools are struggling. Tuition would be charged on a sliding scale based on family income and waived for children from low-income families.

Edwards also proposed creation of a national program to promote health screening for problems related to speech, hearing, vision, dental and learning disabilities. The program would promote home visits by nurses to 50,000 low-income new parents.

Edwards also said he would raise teacher pay by up to $15,000 for educators in high-poverty areas.

[signof4]

PRESS RELEASE: Edwards calls for top tier hair care products in every bathroom! ''No one should have to deal with bad hair.'' Details to follow.

[glaswolf]

The failure of US schools resulted from integrating students indifferent to IQ''s and watering down material accommodating lowest common denominators, replacing truth with political correctness, and confusing what humans create with what mythical gods are believed to produce. In reality, political refugees are all able to educate their young as do civilized indians. Many EM immigrants of generations are Jefferson''s serf stock and never really "educated their children" ... the Jesuits and Manor management did. Educational dysfunction pervades serf sourced pseudo white as well as black urban blocks, and these would benefit from available free preschools, whereas required attendance retards children from our legitimate civilized political refugee families. "Testing beyond the limits of performance" must be the standard, no esteem nor motivation concerns allowed.

[prinzowhales]

What a charming picture of Lawyer Edwards...looks like he just pulled something rather intriguing out of his nose and is deciding whether to eat it or try and put it back....no, best wait and see what his campaign manager, Mr. Bonoir, says his position should be...after all, he had 26 years in the House making just those kinds of tough decisions...

[me4prezz]

PJ66:

Thank you! Somewhere they drew a line that divided the upper class from the lower class and crossed out the middle class, forgetting that we are still here.

My husband and I make just enough money to not be lower/poverty class, which means that we make enough money to be poor, but have to pay for everything ourselves with no help.

College scholarships for nursing school? Forget it! I am a middle class, white, married woman. I qualify for nothing but student loans, and even those don''t cover the expense. My children are the ones who will suffer because we call in the middle and I am so sick of seeing them suffer because we make too much money to not be poor, but not enough money to have money.

[me4prezz]

This may be the only thing I have liked that came out of the Edwards campaign. However, on that note, if you are going to have a universal preschool, then make it free and don''t charge for it. That is what taxes are paid for. If I have to pay for it, then I will find a private school and opt out of government education. I have 3 children, 2 of which are in preschool.

Second, at least where Michigan is concerned, that extra $15,000 a year would be a nice bonus, but at this point, teachers would just like to have job security. Our teachers are leaving en masse because there are no jobs due to budget cuts, budget cuts, budget cuts. Nearly every school you go to in Michigan will have some story of how many teachers were cut that year due to budget cuts.

So, forgive me for not jumping for immediate joy and falling in the more skeptic category, but I have seen too many teachers and students fall by the wayside to government failure to be secure in anything that comes by way of education.

[prinzowhales]

hopetrumps--Yes, I said "human garbage" and I stand by it--I called the cowardly little punks who applauded the torture of a young man, "Hitler Youth", and I stand by it.

We''ve seen the kind of ''American education'' that you endorse--its brought us from being the most literate nation on earth to being a nation of illiterates and dullards--a full 20% of whom cannot find their own country on a map! Just how much more money will it cost the taxpayers to provide more of this kind of ''education''?

We rank 37th in health care excellence in the world today and number one in health care expense. Edwards wants the government to pour money into the US Death Care system--He wants more corporate control through the Freakin'' Death Administration. A Cuban peasant has a longer life expectancy than an American doctor. Edwards isn''t interested in a good health care system--he''s dead set on making everyone suffer under the one we have.

What''s the matter ''Hopetrumps'', can''t find any talking points in your Edwards'' brochures for camp followers to explain away the surrender of victory in Ohio in 2004? The campaign had over $40 million to fight the theft. Today we have the same crooked machines, the same crooked politicians and the chances are pretty good that we will have the same kind of crooked election that we had in 2000 and 2004.

[standlee5]

Let''s not repeat past mistakes. There is no need to have big top heavy entitilement programs. Some public service campaigns on early childhood education directed at parents grandparents will be much more cost effective than a massive program. After universal preschool and daycare then universal transportation to get there. What kids need is a safe neighborhood so they can run around outside and play in safety.

[pjj66]

I am sick of hearing low income needs this their children need this from health care, preschool etc. How about the middle class people. We pay for everything out of our pockets with no help. The middle class people vote. I hope Edwards and everyone running for office remember the middle class have a strong vote.

[pjj66]

I am sick of hearing low income needs this their children need this from health care, preschool etc. How about the middle class people. We pay for everything out of our pockets with no help. The middle class people vote. I hope Edwards and everyone running for office remember the middle class have a strong vote.

[my2centss]

In my personal finances, if I do not have the money, I am unable to purchase the product. How much are we able to borrow and spend before our country collapses? The dollar is slowly becoming worthless. This spending needs to stop before China stops loaning it to us.