Candidate Opinions On Education Bipartisan

This story was written by Alex Abdallah, The Lariat

Dr. Tony Talbert, associate professor of social studies and qualitative research, said that the presidential candidates will respond to the public's dissatisfaction with the standardized testing mania that seems to be pervasive.

The No Child Left Behind Act is an unfunded mandate signed by President Bush in 2002 that set more standards and testing for schools to adhere to.

"No Child Left Behind is an unfunded tool used to berate schools as if they are the only part in a child's education," said Dr. Wesley Null, associate professor of curriculum and foundations of education.

However, it did help to uncover some of the disparities in education by breaking down how well students perform on assessments by gender and race, Null said.

No Child Left Behind is a low standard that McCain does not want to accept anymore, according to his Web site. However, he does not explain exactly how he plans to change the standard.

McCain does call for competition within schools to force innovation. He wants schools to compete for the best teachers and reward them. He plans to focus federal financial support on giving parents the ability to send their children and tax dollars to the school of their choice.

This system would give vouchers that pay for access to private schools. However, the federal funding would not be enough to cover all of the costs of many private schools.

According to Talbert, this is a free market philosophy that will cause failing schools to close down and others to open up, expand and thrive.

"McCain's proposal is highly controversial," Null said, "There are real questions about what it would do to communities on racial, economic and religious lines."

According to Null, McCain's proposal could keep teachers from working in places where they are needed the most, such as inner cities and rural areas.

Huckabee believes No Child Left Behind has value but wants to create a more clear distinction between federal and state roles in education, allowing states to set their own benchmarks.

Huckabee places emphasis on music and arts in the school, what he refers to as "weapons of mass instruction." On the education policy page of his Web site, Huckabee notes that he himself plays the bass guitar in his band "Capitol Offense."

"No Child Left Behind is driven by economics and therefore the subjects that dominate are math and science," Null said.

These subjects are directly tied to business. According to Null, a correction is in order to reemphasize the arts for well-rounded students.

"Well-rounded education is difficult to test," Talbert said.

This could be why social studies, science and the arts have been underfunded in years past.

Huckabee believes that the future economy depends on a creative generation in order for the U.S. to continue to compete in the global economy. He wants "our children to be so creative that they think outside the cardboard factory."

The Democratic candidates' plans for education are similar to each other, and much more detailed than McCain or Huckabee's proposals.

Clinton also plans to end No Child Left Behind. She will offer pre-kindergarten to all four-year-olds and have programs to help new parents with parenting skills. She also wants to improve childcare programs, such as HeadStart.

Clinton's education plan covers every possible topic from bettering special-needs programs to creating "green school" that reduce energy costs and eliminate environmental hazards.

Many programs to reach out to "at risk" youth to help them succeed in college and the workforce are proposed.

Talbert believes this will help to fund the students who most need those enrichment resources and allow those children access to leadership and development.

Both Clinton and Obama spotlight college education. They both hope to simplify the financial aid process, increase the Pell Grant, and better community colleges.

Clinton also plans to create a graduation fund to increase college graduation rates, increase AmeriCorps students' college scholarships and create college tax credit.

Selective colleges will be more accessible to low-income students and college costs would be kept down. Clinton will require colleges to post assessments of themselves online.

Clinton backs up her ideas with specific dollar amounts she plans to spend.

Obama's plan for education is just as substantial as Clinton's plan.

Along with the extended education plans that he shares with Clinton, Obama wants to create American Opportunity Tax Credit, making the first $4,000 of a college education free for low income students, and covering two-thirds the cost of tuition at the average public college or university.

Obama does not want to end the No Child Left Behind program, but wants to fund it and improve student-progress assessments.

Unlike McCain, he wants to use No Child Left Behind to support schools that are failing, not punish them.

While Huckabee pushes for stronger music and arts, Obama wants a strong focus on math and science.

Under Obama, states will receive grants to create voluntary zero five preschools, to improve HeadStart, after school programs, and summer programs.

Obama wants to improve teachers' education with scholarships to fund their graduate schooling and create mentoring programs among experienced teachers and new recruits.

According to Null, the current No Child Left Behind plan treats teachers like hired help that can be replaced. There is no sense of teaching as the real profession that it is.

Districts will be allowed to reward mentors and rural or inner city teachers with pay increases. He will also pay teachers for the time they spend in common planning and collaboration.

"Educating kids is much more complex than running a corporation," Null said.
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