| Education Issues |
* Barack Obama - D
 |
Ralph Nader - I
 |
Chuck Baldwin - CON
 |
| Education, a General Statement |
Obama: Barack Obama's comprehensive plan to provide a world-class education for all Americans will:
* Reform No Child Left Behind.
* Ensure access to high-quality early childhood education programs and child care opportunities so children enter kindergarten ready to learn.
* Work to place effective teachers in every classroom in America, especially those in high-poverty, high-minority areas.
* Reward effective teachers for taking on challenging assignments and helping children succeed.
* Support highly-effective principals and school leaders.
* Make science and math education a national priority.
* Reduce the high school dropout rate by focusing on proven methods to improve student achievement and enhance graduation and higher education opportunities.
* Close the achievement gap and invest in what works.
* Empower parents to raise healthy and successful children by taking a greater role in their child's education at home and at school.
Source: www.barackobama.com/2007/11/20/in_major_policy_speech_obama_a_1.php Date: 11/20/2007 |
Nader: No Response |
Baldwin: No Response |
| Department of Education |
Obama: No Response |
Nader: No Response |
Baldwin: No Response |
| Public Schools |
Obama: We know that global competition requires us to revamp our educational system, replenish our teaching corps, buckle down on math and science instruction, and rescue inner-city kids from illiteracy. Our debate seems stuck between those who want to dismantle the system and those who would defend an indefensible status quo, between those who say money makes no difference in education and those who want more money without any demonstration that it will be put to good use.
Source: The Audacity of Hope, by Barack Obama, p. 22 Date: 01/10/2006 |
Nader: No Response |
Baldwin: No Response |
| Improving Education |
Obama: We are not a ‘these kids' nation. We are the nation that has always understood that our future is inextricably linked to the education of our children - all of them. We are the country that has always believed in Thomas Jefferson's declaration that "...talent and virtue, needed in a free society, should be educated regardless of wealth or birth."
In this election - at this defining moment - we can decide that this century will be another American century by making an historic commitment to education. We can make a commitment that's more than just the rhetoric of a campaign - one that's more than another empty promise made by a politician looking for your vote.
I want to lead a new era of mutual responsibility in education - one where we all come together for the sake of our children's success; an era where each of us does our part to make that success a reality - parents and teachers; leaders in Washington and citizens all across America.
A truly historic commitment to education - a real commitment - will require new resources and new reforms. It will require a willingness to break free from the same debates that Washington has been engaged in for decades - Democrat versus Republican; vouchers versus the status quo; more money versus more accountability. And most of all, it will take a President who is honest about the challenges we face - who doesn't just tell everyone what they want to hear, but what they need to hear.
I am running to be that President. And that's why I'm proposing a comprehensive plan to give every American child the chance to receive the best education America has to offer - from the moment they're born to the day they graduate college. As President, I will put the full resources of the federal government behind this plan. But to make it a reality, I will also ask more of teachers and principals; parents and students; schools and communities.
Source: www.barackobama.com/2007/11/20/in_major_policy_speech_obama_a_1.php Date: 11/20/2007 |
Nader: Education is primarily the responsibility of state and local governments. The federal government has a critical supporting role to play in ensuring that all children -- irrespective of the income of their parents, or their race -- are provided with rich learning environments and equal educational opportunities and upgraded repaired school buildings. The government has an important role to play in keeping undermining influences out of the public schools -- among them, commercialism and private school voucher programs. The federal government must not impose an overemphasis on high-stakes standardized tests. Such testing has a negative impact on student learning, curriculum and teaching by resulting in excessive time devoted to narrow test participation, de-enrichment of the curriculum, false accountability, equity and cultural bias, excessive use of financial resources for testing among other problems. Federal law should be transformed to one that supports teachers and students; from one that relies primarily on standardized tests and punishment. And the government should encourage schools to infuse their curriculum with civic experiences that teaches students both how to connect classroom learning to the outside world and how to practice democracy.
Source: Candidate Website Date: 10/04/2008 |
Baldwin: No Response |
| Pre-School |
Obama: We know what a difference early childhood programs make in the lives of our kids. Study after study proves that children in these programs - especially low-income children - are more likely to score higher in reading and math, more likely to graduate high school and attend college, more likely to hold a job and more likely to earn more on that job. And for every $1 we invest in these programs, we get $10 back in reduced welfare rolls, fewer health care costs, and less crime.
In recent years, states have been able to enroll nearly one million four year olds in pre-Kindergarten programs. That's a great success, but I believe we can do better. We need to enroll more children and we need to start at an even earlier age. As a state Senator, I helped create the Illinois Early Learning Council, which launched a program called Preschool for All.
As President, I will launch a Children's First Agenda that provides care, learning and support to families with children ages zero to five. We'll create Early Learning Grants to help states create a system of high-quality early care and education for all young children and their families. We'll increase Head Start funding and quadruple Early Start to include a quarter of a million at-risk children. I will create a Presidential Early Learning Council to coordinate this effort across all levels of government and ensure that we're providing these children and families with the highest quality programs. And we'll help more working parents find a safe, affordable place to leave their children during the day by improving the educational quality of our child care programs and increasing the child care tax credit. That's how we'll give our kids the best possible start in life, and that's the commitment America will make when I am President.
Source: www.barackobama.com/2007/11/20/in_major_policy_speech_obama_a_1.php Date: 11/20/2007 |
Nader: No Response |
Baldwin: No Response |
| Head Start |
Obama: Research shows that many poor and minority children do not enter kindergarten ready to learn. Black children start school substantially behind white children in reading and math, and these early achievement gaps expand throughout elementary school. Barack Obama supports increasing funding for the Head Start program to provide low-income preschool children with critically important learning skills, and supports the necessary role of parental involvement in the success of Head Start.
Source: www.barackobama.com Date: 12/08/2007 |
Nader: The government must immediately provide full funding for Head Start and guarantee pre-school education for all children.
Source: Candidate Website Date: 10/04/2008 |
Baldwin: No Response |
| High Schools |
Obama: Give More High School Students Access to Rigorous College-level Courses: Students who participate in Advanced Placement (AP) programs, which give students the opportunity to take college-level courses in high school, are much more likely to enroll and be successful in college. While enrollment in AP courses has nearly tripled over the past decade, many students attend schools that do not offer AP classes. Barack Obama, with Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC), introduced a bipartisan plan to allow students who do not have access to college-level courses at their high schools, to apply for need-based grants and seek credit at local colleges or community colleges.
Source: www.barackobama.com Date: 12/08/2007 |
Nader: No Response |
Baldwin: No Response |
| Higher Education |
Obama: Every American has the right to pursue their dreams. But we also have the responsibility to make sure that our children can reach a little further and rise a little higher than we did. It means putting a college education within reach of every American. That's the best investment we can make in our future. I'll create a new and fully refundable tax credit worth $4,000 for tuition and fees every year, which will cover two-thirds of the tuition at the average public college or university. I'll also simplify the financial aid application process so that we don't have a million students who aren't applying for aid because it's too difficult. I will start by eliminating the current student aid form altogether - we'll use tax data instead.
Source: www.barackobama.com/2007/11/07/in_major_policy_speech_obama_a.php Date: 11/07/2007 |
Nader: No Response |
Baldwin: No Response |
| Adult Education |
Obama: We've got a story to tell that isn't just against something but is for something. We know that we're the party of opportunity. We know that in a global economy that's more connective and more competitive that we're the party that will guarantee every American an affordable, world-class, life-long, top-notch education, from early childhood to high school--from college to on-the-job training. We know that that's what we're about.
Source: Annual 2006 Take Back America Conference Date: 06/14/2006 |
Nader: No Response |
Baldwin: No Response |
| Dropouts |
Obama: Finally, as you and I stand here today, know that there is a generation of children growing up on the mean streets and forgotten corners of this country who are slipping away from us as we speak. They walk down Corridors of Shame in rural South Carolina and sit in battered classrooms somewhere in East L.A. They are overwhelmingly black and Latino and poor. And when they look around and see that no one has lifted a finger to fix their school since the 19th century; when they are pushed out the door at the sound of the last bell - some into a virtual war zone - is it any wonder they don't think their education is important? Is it any wonder that they are dropping out in rates we've never seen before?
I know these children. I know their sense of hopelessness. I began my career over two decades ago as a community organizer on the streets of Chicago's South Side. And I worked with parents and teachers and local leaders to fight for their future. We set up after school programs and we even protested outside government offices so that we could get those who had dropped out into alternative schools. And in time, we changed futures.
And so while I know hopelessness, I also know hope. I know that if we bring early education programs to these communities; if we stop waiting until high-school to address the drop-out rate and start in earlier grades; if we bring in new, qualified teachers; if we expand college outreach programs like GEAR UP and TRIO and fight to expand summer learning opportunities like I've done in the Senate; if we do all this, we can make a difference in the lives of our children and the life of this country - not just in East L.A. or the south side of Chicago, but here in Manchester, and suburban Boston, and rural Mississippi. I know we can. I've seen it happen. And I will work every day to do it again as your President.
Source: www.barackobama.com/2007/11/20/in_major_policy_speech_obama_a_1.php Date: 11/20/2007 |
Nader: No Response |
Baldwin: No Response |
| Community Colleges |
Obama: Obama will provide funding to community colleges to reevaluate the types of skills and education that are in demand from students and local businesses in support of health careers, renewable energy initiatives, and other ventures to revitalize rural economies. This will lead community colleges to implement new associate degree programs that reflect the increasingly dynamic and technical skills required for rural America to respond to a globalizing workforce.
"I am putting forward an agenda to strengthen our community colleges, so that we prepare the American workforce for the demands of a new century. My plan will make higher education more affordable, match community college degrees to the needs of local industry and national goals, and provide the American people with a critical resource to help them live their dreams.
This fully refundable credit will pay for the first $4,000 of a college education, which would make community college completely free for most Americans. We'll make sure that Pell Grants continue to help low-income Americans by adjusting the award to keep pace with rising costs.
This initiative will help community colleges analyze what skills are needed to prepare students to work in local industry. And we won't just encourage community colleges to move in this direction - we'll reward success by providing grants to schools that graduate more students, and to schools that increase the number of their students who transfer to four-year colleges.
An ever-expanding American Dream: this is the legacy - and the promise - of the community college system in America. It's a system based on the principle that we all have a stake in one another's success. Because when we invest in one another's dreams, our communities benefit, our states benefit, and ultimately our entire nation is lifted up."
Source: www.barackobama.com/2007/11/19/obama_unveils_agenda_to_streng.php Date: 11/19/2007 |
Nader: No Response |
Baldwin: No Response |
| Classroom Size |
Obama: No Response |
Nader: No Response |
Baldwin: No Response |
| Extended Learning Time |
Obama: Voted YES on $52M for "21st century community learning centers". Voted YES to increase appropriations for after-school programs through 21st century community learning centers. Voting YES would increase funding by $51.9 million for after school programs run by the 21st century community learning centers and would decrease funding by $51.9 million for salaries and expenses in the Department of Labor.
Source: Amendment to Agencies Appropriations Act; Bill S Amdt 2287 to HR 3010 ; vote number 2005-279 Date: 10/27/2005 |
Nader: No Response |
Baldwin: No Response |
| After-School Programs |
Obama: We need after-school programs and summer-school programs because minority youth and poor youth are less likely to get the kind of environment and supplemental activities that they need. But let's be clear: We have good answers for how to make these schools work. What we don't have is a sense of urgency in the White House. I was raised by a single mom and my grandparents. I did not get money and privilege when I was young. But I did get a good education. And we've got to have that attitude for every single child in America. That also means--last point I'll make, because sometimes this doesn't get talked enough about. We have to have our parents take their jobs seriously, and particularly African-American fathers who all too often are absent from the home, have not encouraged the kind of, you know, nurturing of our children that they need. As somebody who grew up without a father, I know how important that is. The schools can't do it all by themselves. Parents have to parent.
Source: 2008 Democratic debate in Las Vegas Date: 01/15/2008 |
Nader: No Response |
Baldwin: No Response |
| Parental Involvement |
Obama: But there is no program and no policy that can substitute for a parent who is involved in their child's education from day one. There is no substitute for a parent who will attend those parent/teacher conferences, make sure their children are in school on time, and help them with their homework after dinner. And I have no doubt that we will still be talking about these problems in the next century if we do not have parents who are willing to turn off the TV once in awhile, and put away the video games, and read to their child. Responsibility for our children's education has to start at home. We have to set high standards for them, and spend time with them, and love them. We have to hold ourselves accountable.
You know a few years ago, a little girl at Earhart Elementary in Chicago was asked the secret to her academic success. She said, "I just study hard every night because I like learning. My teacher wants me to be a good student, and so does my mother. I don't want to let them down."
It is now our moment to keep that promise - the promise of America - alive in the 21st century. It's our generation's turn to stand up and say to the little girl in Chicago, or the little boy in Manchester, or the millions like them all across the country that they are not ‘these kids' - they are our kids. They do not want to let us down, and we cannot let them down either. That's what I'll be fighting for in this election, and that's what I'll do as President of the United States.
Source: www.barackobama.com/2007/11/20/in_major_policy_speech_obama_a_1.php Date: 11/20/2007 |
Nader: No Response |
Baldwin: No Response |
| Computers in Schools |
Obama: No Response |
Nader: No Response |
Baldwin: No Response |
| Federal Mandates |
Obama: The fact is, No Child Left Behind has done more to stigmatize and demoralize our students and teachers in struggling schools than it has to marshal the talent and the determination and the resources to turn them around. That's what's wrong with No Child Left Behind, and that's what we must change in a fundamental way.
I want to lead a new era of mutual responsibility in education - one where we all come together for the sake of our children's success; an era where each of us does our part to make that success a reality - parents and teachers; leaders in Washington and citizens all across America.
I won't pretend that this will be easy. We must fix the failures of No Child Left Behind. We must provide the funding we were promised, and give our states the resources they need, and finally meet our commitment to special education. But that alone is not an education policy. It's just a starting point.
A truly historic commitment to education - a real commitment - will require new resources and new reforms. It will require a willingness to break free from the same debates that Washington has been engaged in for decades - Democrat versus Republican; vouchers versus the status quo; more money versus more accountability. And most of all, it will take a President who is honest about the challenges we face - who doesn't just tell everyone what they want to hear, but what they need to hear.
Source: www.barackobama.com/2007/11/20/in_major_policy_speech_obama_a_1.php Date: 11/20/2007 |
Nader: No Response |
Baldwin: No Response |
| Federal Funding of Private Schools |
Obama: Money does matter in education. But there is no denying that the way many public schools are managed poses at least as big a problem as how well they're funded. Our task is to identify those reforms that have the highest impact on achievement, fund them, and eliminate those programs that don't produce results
Source: The Audacity of Hope, by Barack Obama, p.161-163 Date: 10/01/2006 |
Nader: No Response |
Baldwin: No Response |
| Standardized Testing |
Obama: Don't tell us that the only way to teach a child is to spend too much of the year preparing him to fill out bubbles in a standardized test. [Teachers] didn't devote [their] lives to testing [they] devoted it to teaching and that is what [they] should be allowed to do. Teachers are extraordinarily frustrated about how their performance is assessed. And not just their own performance, but the school's performance generally. So they're teaching to the tests all the time.
The goal of educational testing should be the same as medical testing - to diagnose a student's needs so you can help address them. Tests should not be designed as punishment for teachers and students, they should be used as tools to help our children grow and compete. Tests should support learning, not just accounting. Because if we really want our children to become the great inventors and problem-solvers of tomorrow, our schools shouldn't stifle innovation, they should let it thrive.
Source: www.barackobama.com/2007/11/20/in_major_policy_speech_obama_a_1.php Date: 11/20/2007 |
Nader: No Response |
Baldwin: No Response |
| No Child Left Behind Act, a General Statement |
Obama: If we do nothing about this, if we accept this kind of economy; this kind of society, we face a future where the ideal of American meritocracy could turn into an American myth. A future that's not only morally unacceptable for our children; but economically untenable for a nation that finds itself in a globalized world, as countries who are out-educating us today out-compete our workers tomorrow. The President promised that he would change all this with No Child Left Behind Act. Unfortunately, the Administration has failed on the implementation of that law. Not only have they failed to provide billions in adequate funding, they've also failed to design better assessment tests that provide a clearer path for schools to raise achievement. They've failed to work with states so that they could honor their own commitment to provide every child with a highly qualified teacher. As a result, they've had to exempt numerous states from meeting certain provisions of No Child Left Behind, and now it appears unlikely that they will meet their own goal of getting our children to grade level by the year 2014. This is unacceptable. If we truly believe in our public schools, then we have a moral responsibility to do better - to break the either-or mentality around the debate over education that asks us to choose between more money or more reform, and embrace a both-and mentality. Because we know that good schools will require both the structural reform and the resources necessary to prepare our kids for the future.
Source: www.barackobama.com Date: 12/07/2007 |
Nader: The Nader Campaign opposes the over reliance on high stakes standardized tests included in federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act, commonly known as “No Child Left Behind.”
Source: Candidate Website Date: 10/04/2008 |
Baldwin: No Response |
| No Child Left Behind Act Federal Funding Level |
Obama: I often say that the problem with No Child Left Behind is that George Bush left the money behind. And it wasn't just him, either. It's pretty popular to bash No Child Left Behind out on the campaign trail, but when it was being debated in Congress four years ago, my colleague Dick Durbin offered everyone a chance to vote so that the law couldn't be enforced unless it was fully funded. Senator Edwards and Senator Clinton passed on that chance, and I believe that was a serious mistake.
Because I think we'd all agree that the goals of this law were the right ones. Making a promise to educate every child with an excellent teacher is right. Closing the achievement gap that exists in too many cities and rural areas is right. Making sure that necessary resources and qualified teachers are distributed equitably among every city and small town is right. More accountability is right. Higher standards are right.
But I'll tell you what's wrong with No Child Left Behind. Forcing our teachers, our principals, and our schools to accomplish all of this without the resources they need is wrong. Promising high-quality teachers in every classroom and then leaving the support and the pay for those teachers behind is wrong. Labeling a school and its students as failures one day and then throwing your hands up and walking away from them the next is wrong.
The fact is, No Child Left Behind has done more to stigmatize and demoralize our students and teachers in struggling schools than it has to marshal the talent and the determination and the resources to turn them around. That's what's wrong with No Child Left Behind, and that's what we must change in a fundamental way.
Source: www.barackobama.com/2007/11/20/in_major_policy_speech_obama_a_1.php Date: 11/20/2007 |
Nader: The US should not be funding an act that should not exist in the first place.
Source: Candidate Website Date: 10/04/2008 |
Baldwin: No Response |
| Teacher Pay |
Obama: As president, I will launch a campaign to recruit and support hundreds of thousands of new teachers across the country--because the most important part of any education is the person standing in front of the classroom. It's time to treat teaching like the profession that it is. It's time to pay our teachers what they deserve. Pay them more money. Teacher pay must be raised across the board.
Source: www.washingtonpost.com, pA15 'From Barack Obama, Two Dangerous Words' Date: 06/19/2007 |
Nader: No Response |
Baldwin: No Response |
| Teacher Merit Based Pay |
Obama: And where they do succeed - where our teachers and principals go above and beyond the call to make a real difference in our children's lives - I think it's time we rewarded them for it.
Cities like Denver have already proven that by working with teachers, this can work - that we can find new ways to increase pay that are developed with teachers, not imposed on them and not just based on an arbitrary test score.
My plan would provide resources to try these innovative programs in school districts all across America. Under my Career Ladder Initiative, these districts will be able to design programs that reward accomplished educators who serve as mentors to new teachers with the salary increase they deserve.
Source: www.barackobama.com/2007/11/20/in_major_policy_speech_obama_a_1.php Date: 11/20/2007 |
Nader: No Response |
Baldwin: No Response |
| Teacher Tenure |
Obama: We'll create a new Service Scholarship program to recruit top talent into the profession, and begin by placing these new teachers in areas like the overcrowded districts of Nevada, or struggling rural towns here in New Hampshire, or hard-to-staff subjects like math and science in schools all across the nation. And I will make this pledge as President - if you commit your life to teaching, America will commit to paying for your college education.
Source: www.barackobama.com/2007/11/20/in_major_policy_speech_obama_a_1.php Date: 11/20/2007 |
Nader: No Response |
Baldwin: No Response |
| Teacher Unions |
Obama: I will work with the NEA and teachers' unions to determine a new system for accountability.
Source: Address to the National Education Association Annual Meeting in Philadelphia Date: 06/19/2007 |
Nader: No Response |
Baldwin: No Response |
| Teacher Standards |
Obama: We know that from the moment our children step into a classroom, the single most important factor in determining their achievement is who their teacher is. To prepare our new teachers, we'll require that all schools of education are accredited, and we'll evaluate their outcomes so that we know which ones are doing the best job. We'll also create a voluntary national performance assessment that actually looks at how prospective teachers can plan, teach, and support student learning, so we can be sure that every new educator is trained and ready to walk into the classroom and start teaching effectively.
To support our teachers, we will expand mentoring programs that pair experienced, successful teachers with new recruits. In states that have tried this, like California, only five percent of new teachers have quit. As President, I will expand these mentoring programs nationwide to give all our teachers the chance to succeed. And I will also make sure that teachers have the conditions in which they can succeed - including excellent principals who support their work, the materials they need to teach effectively, and time to plan and collaborate with one another on improving instruction.
And where they do succeed - where our teachers and principals go above and beyond the call to make a real difference in our children's lives - I think it's time we rewarded them for it.
Now, if we do all this and find that there are teachers who are still struggling and underperforming, we should provide them with individual help and support. And if they're still underperforming after that, we should find a quick and fair way to put another teacher in that classroom. Teacher associations and school boards in a number of cities have led the way by developing peer assistance and review plans that do exactly this - setting professional standards that put children first. We owe our teachers that, and we owe our children that.
Source: www.barackobama.com/2007/11/20/in_major_policy_speech_obama_a_1.php Date: 11/20/2007 |
Nader: No Response |
Baldwin: No Response |
| Student Standards |
Obama: And by the way - don't tell us that the only way to teach a child is to spend most of the year preparing him to fill in a few bubbles on a standardized test. Don't tell us that these tests have to come at the expense of music, or art, or phys. ed., or science. These tests shouldn't come at the expense of a well-rounded education - they should help complete that well-rounded education. The teachers I've met didn't devote their lives to testing, they devoted them to teaching, and teaching our children is what they should be allowed to do.
Source: www.barackobama.com/2007/11/20/in_major_policy_speech_obama_a_1.php Date: 11/20/2007 |
Nader: No Response |
Baldwin: No Response |
| National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Reading and Math Exams |
Obama: No Response |
Nader: No Response |
Baldwin: No Response |
| Education Global Superiority |
Obama: We know that global competition requires us to revamp our educational system, replenish our teaching corps, buckle down on math and science instruction, and rescue inner-city kids from illiteracy. Our debate seems stuck between those who want to dismantle the system and those who would defend an indefensible status quo, between those who say money makes no difference in education and those who want more money without any demonstration that it will be put to good use.
Source: The Audacity of Hope, by Barack Obama, p. 22 Date: 10/01/2006 |
Nader: No Response |
Baldwin: No Response |
| Junk Food Vending Machines in Public Schools |
Obama: He will work to get junk food out of vending machines in schools and improve nutritional content of lunches through financial incentives, increase grant support for physical education, expand federal reimbursement for school-based health services, and provide grants for health educational programs for students.
Source: www.barackobama.com Date: 12/07/2007 |
Nader: No Response |
Baldwin: No Response |
| Education Gap with Other Countries |
Obama: 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. There simply aren't as many jobs today that can support a family where only a high school degree is required. And if you don't have that degree, there are even fewer jobs available that can keep you out of poverty.
In this kind of economy, countries who out-educate us today will out-compete us tomorrow. Already, China is graduating eight times as many engineers as we are. By twelfth grade, our children score lower on math and science tests than most other kids in the world. And we now have one of the highest high school dropout rates of any industrialized nation in the world.
Well I do not accept this future for America. I do not accept an America where we do nothing about six million students who are reading below their grade level - an America where sixty percent of African-American fourth graders aren't even reading at the basic level.
I do not accept an America where only twenty percent of our students are prepared to take college-level classes in English, math, and science - where barely one in ten low-income students will ever graduate from college.
I do not accept an America where elementary school kids are only getting an average of twenty-five minutes of science each day when we know that over 80% of the fastest-growing jobs require a knowledge base in math and science.
This kind of America is morally unacceptable for our children. It's economically untenable for our future. And it's not who we are as a country.
Source: www.barackobama.com/2007/11/20/in_major_policy_speech_obama_a_1.php Date: 11/20/2007 |
Nader: No Response |
Baldwin: No Response |
| School Choice |
Obama: No Response |
Nader: No Response |
Baldwin: No Response |
| Private School Vouchers |
Obama: I am against vouchers, because they take resources away from public schools. I think that the ultimate result of initiating a voucher program ends up being to, over time, not foster competition, but, in fact, to reduce the options available particularly for the hardest to reach kids because a private market system will not ultimately try to reach the toughest to teach kids.
Source: Interview Chicago Tribune Date: 07/24/2003 |
Nader: No. Voucher programs undermine our public schools.
Source: Candidate Website Date: 10/04/2008 |
Baldwin: No Response |
| Charter Schools |
Obama: I support charter schools where independent groups receive state authorization and funding to establish new schools. We also know that some of the best ideas in education don't come from Washington, but from local schools all over America. That's why charter schools are a great way for us to learn from experiments in Topeka and Springfield that schools in Chicago and L.A. can replicate in their own classrooms.
Source: 1998 IL State Legislative National Political Awareness Test Date: 07/02/1998 |
Nader: No Response |
Baldwin: No Response |
| Home Schooling |
Obama: No Response |
Nader: No Response |
Baldwin: No Response |
| Special Education |
Obama: Barack Obama believes the United States should lead the world in empowering people with disabilities to take full advantage of their talents and become independent, integrated members of society. In addition to reclaiming America's global leadership on this issue by becoming a signatory to – and having the Senate ratify – the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Obama's plan has four parts that are designed to provide Americans with disabilities with the greatest possible access to the same opportunities as those without disabilities. They are:
First, provide Americans with disabilities the educational opportunities they need to succeed.
Second, end discrimination and promote equal opportunity.
Third, increase the employment rate of workers with disabilities.
And fourth, support independent, community-based living for Americans with disabilities.
Source: www.barackobama.com/2007/12/11/obama_unveils_disabilities_and.php Date: 12/11/2007 |
Nader: No Response |
Baldwin: No Response |
| Magnet Schools |
Obama: No Response |
Nader: No Response |
Baldwin: No Response |
| Rural Schools |
Obama: It is going to be necessary for the federal government, under an Obama administration, to come up with a capital program to rebuild schools all across the country. States are going to have to step up because right now too many states are neglecting rural areas because they don’t have as much political clout.
Source: The Audacity of Hope, by Barack Obama, p.161-163 Date: 10/01/2006 |
Nader: No Response |
Baldwin: No Response |
| Summer School |
Obama: Students lose an average of two months or more worth of math facts and skills during the summer, with the largest learning loss affecting children who live in poverty, suffer from learning disabilities, or do not speak English at home. Barack Obama's "STEP UP" plan addresses the achievement gaps among grade-school children by supporting summer learning opportunities for disadvantaged children through partnerships between local schools and community organizations.
Source: www.barackobama.com Date: 12/08/2007 |
Nader: No Response |
Baldwin: No Response |
| Teaching Evolution and Intelligent Design |
Obama: If people want to teach creationism, they perfectly well can do that in Sunday school, or people want to teach the parting of the Red Sea, but you don't do that in nautical history. The Mormons believe that the lost tribes of Israel came over here after the death of Christ. Well, if they want to teach that in a Mormon Church, that's perfectly acceptable, but they don't teach that in the Utah public schools, nor should they.
Source: ANDERSON COOPER 360 DEGREES Date: 05/08/2007 |
Nader: No Response |
Baldwin: No Response |
| Teaching of Sex Education and Birth Control Options |
Obama: I'm all for education for our young people, encouraging abstinence until marriage, but I also believe that young people do things regardless of what their parents tell them to do and I don't want my daughters ending up in really difficult situations because I didn't communicate to them, how to protect themselves if they make a mistake. I think we've got to have that kind of comprehensive view that says family planning and education for our young people and so forth - to prevent teen pregnancies, to prevent the kinds of situations that lead to women having to struggle with these difficult decisions and we should be supportive of those efforts. That's an area where there should be some agreement.
Source: South Carolina 2007 Democratic primary debate, on MSNBC Date: 04/26/2007 |
Nader: Young people need to have access to full information on sexual issues and birth-control options.
Source: Candidate Website Date: 10/04/2008 |
Baldwin: No Response |
| Teach about Gay and Lesbian Orientation |
Obama: No Response |
Nader: No Response |
Baldwin: No Response |
| Teacher Selection of Textbooks |
Obama: No Response |
Nader: No Response |
Baldwin: No Response |
| Religion in Public Schools |
Obama: Not every mention of God in public is a breach to the wall of separation - context matters. It is doubtful that children reciting the Pledge of Allegiance feel oppressed or brainwashed as a consequence of muttering the phrase "under God." I certainly didn't. Having voluntary student prayer groups using school property to meet should not be a threat, any more than its use by the High School Republicans should threaten Democrats.
Source: blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2006/06/obama_on_faith_and_politics_an.html Date: 06/28/2006 |
Nader: No Response |
Baldwin: No Response |
| "Under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance |
Obama: No Response |
Nader: No Response |
Baldwin: No Response |
| Student Loans, Scholarships and Pell Grants |
Obama: Barack Obama will eliminate the FFEL program that provides wasteful subsidies to banks and mandate that all federal student loans be provided through the direct loan program. Converting all new federal student loans to the direct loan program will save taxpayers over $618 per $10,000 Stafford Loan. Obama originally proposed this plan in 2004, and recent scandals underscore the need for change.
Savings from the elimination of the guaranteed loan program will be redirected to fund need-based grants, such as Pell Grants. Based on the FFEL loans for 2007 alone, nearly $6 billion would be saved if those same loan amounts were disbursed through the direct loan program. Those savings could produce over one million new Pell Grants.
Source: www.barackobama.com/2007/05/15/obama_calls_for_elimination_of.php Date: 05/15/2007 |
Nader: No Response |
Baldwin: No Response |
| Education Tax Credits |
Obama: Obama will make college affordable for all Americans by creating a new American Opportunity Tax Credit. This universal and fully refundable credit will ensure that the first $4,000 of a college education is completely free for most Americans. Obama will also ensure that the tax credit is available to families at the time of enrollment by using prior year's tax data to deliver the credit when tuition is due.
Source: "Blueprint for Change", p. 20&46 Date: 02/02/2008 |
Nader: No Response |
Baldwin: No Response |
| Local Control Over Education |
Obama: No Response |
Nader: No Response |
Baldwin: No Response |
| Boy-Girl Achievement Gap |
Obama: No Response |
Nader: No Response |
Baldwin: No Response |
| Black-White Achievement Gap |
Obama: Our public education system is the key to opportunity for millions of children and families. It needs to be the best in the world. Of particular concern is the growing achievement gap between middle and low-income students, which has continued to expand despite some overall national achievement gains.
Source: ObamaForIllinois.com Date: 05/02/2004 |
Nader: No Response |
Baldwin: No Response |
| Title IX 'Equal Opportunities for Girls' |
Obama: No Response |
Nader: No Response |
Baldwin: No Response |
| Bilingual Education |
Obama: No Response |
Nader: No Response |
Baldwin: No Response |
| Math and Science |
Obama: Barack Obama will emphasize the importance of technology literacy, ensuring that all public school children are equipped with the necessary science, technology and math skills to succeed in the 21st century economy. Access to computers and broadband connections in public schools must be coupled with qualified teachers, engaging curricula, and a commitment to developing skills in the field of technology. This is central to the competitiveness of our nation's technology sector and of our citizens. Obama also believes that we must strengthen math and science education to help develop a skilled workforce and promote innovation. He will work to increase our number of science and engineering graduates, encourage undergraduates studying math and science to pursue graduate studies, and work to increase the representation of minorities and women in the science and technology pipeline, tapping the diversity of America to meet the increasing demand for a skilled workforce. If we export our best software and engineering jobs to developing countries, it is less likely that America will benefit from the next generation innovations in nanotechnology, electronics, and biotechnology. We must have a skilled workforce so that we can retain and grow jobs requiring 21st century skills rather than forcing employers to find skilled workers abroad.
Source: www.barackobama.com Date: 12/08/2007 |
Nader: No Response |
Baldwin: No Response |
| Art and Music |
Obama: No Response |
Nader: No Response |
Baldwin: No Response |
| School Safety |
Obama: No Response |
Nader: No Response |
Baldwin: No Response |
| Drugs in Schools |
Obama: No Response |
Nader: No Response |
Baldwin: No Response |
| Education Issues |
Bob Barr - L
 |
John Mccain - R
 |
| Education, a General Statement |
Barr: No Response |
Mccain: 1998: Supported the Reading Excellence Act, to combat illiteracy, promote adult education, and strengthen teacher preparation.
1989: Co-sponsored the Educational Excellence Act , to recognize and reward schools, teachers, and students for their outstanding achievements; enhance parental choice; and encourage the study of science, mathematics, and engineering.
1998: Co-sponsored the Child Nutrition Act, to create enrichment programs for low-income and at-risk children.
1991: Funded educating homeless adults and family literacy programs.
1990: Supported Dropout Prevention Programs legislation, and secured funding for Project Prime to help reduce the dropout rate for minority students.
1998: Supported amendment focusing on the unique dropout problems facing Hispanic students.
[McCain’s proposed Senate bill], Educating America’s Children for Tomorrow (Ed-ACT), would:
Return control of our children’s education to parents, teachers, and local communities
Help schools hire and retain quality teachers
Provide more opportunities for disadvantaged children
Increase parents’ options to save for their children’s higher education
Encourage proficiency in English plus other languages in order to increase our competitiveness in the global marketplace.
Source: McCain for President web Site Date: 07/02/1999 |
| Department of Education |
Barr: No Response |
Mccain: No Response |
| Public Schools |
Barr: No Response |
Mccain: No Response |
| Improving Education |
Barr: No Response |
Mccain: McCain wants to create a pool of military veterans, retirees and others who would tutor students in math, science and English. “You really need to have a lot more people helping kids get their education,” McCain said. Tutors can help reinforce the message that education is important and give students the support they need to succeed, McCain said. If tutors aren’t available in some neighborhoods, the Internet may be able to link them with students, he said.
Source: Associated Press Date: 11/22/1999 |
| Pre-School |
Barr: No Response |
Mccain: No Response |
| Head Start |
Barr: No Response |
Mccain: No Response |
| High Schools |
Barr: No Response |
Mccain: No Response |
| Higher Education |
Barr: No Response |
Mccain: No Response |
| Adult Education |
Barr: No Response |
Mccain: No Response |
| Dropouts |
Barr: No Response |
Mccain: No Response |
| Community Colleges |
Barr: No Response |
Mccain: No Response |
| Classroom Size |
Barr: No Response |
Mccain: Voted NO on funding smaller classes instead of private tutors.
Source: Bill S1 ; vote number 2001-103 Date: 05/15/2001 |
| Extended Learning Time |
Barr: No Response |
Mccain: No Response |
| After-School Programs |
Barr: No Response |
Mccain: No Response |
| Parental Involvement |
Barr: No Response |
Mccain: McCain knows we can save public education if we “have the courage to do more than placate the defenders of the status quo.” McCain [supports] more money reaching our classrooms, increased financial flexibility for parents, greater choices for families, and well-trained teachers. He [opposes] Washington bureaucrats and public education unions dictating education policies. He believes in letting parents, educators, and local communities make the important decisions about our children’s education.
Source: www.mccain2000.com Date: 05/24/1999 |
| Computers in Schools |
Barr: No Response |
Mccain: McCain seeks high-speed Internet access for every school, but suggested requiring filtering software for all public school and library computers as a way to keep children from potentially harmful Internet sites.
Source: Associated Press Date: 06/14/1999 |
| Federal Mandates |
Barr: No Response |
Mccain: I do not favor nationally imposed standards or federal funding strings. State and local education agencies should be responsible for developing & enforcing high academic standards. I don’t believe we should penalize students by taking away limited education dollars according to federal dictates. Such strings would invariably require states to spend even more money on federally imposed bureaucratic requirements-money that would be better spent in the classroom.
Source: Associated Press Date: 02/23/2000 |
| Federal Funding of Private Schools |
Barr: No Response |
Mccain: I propose sending education funding directly to classrooms rather than having it siphoned off by federal and state bureaucracies. If this funding flows to classrooms that continue to fail, the state should have the authority to allow students to use that funding directly for programs that best meet their academic needs. Empowering parents and students through educational choice and competition is the surest path to academic excellence.
Source: Associated Press Date: 02/23/2000 |
| Standardized Testing |
Barr: No Response |
Mccain: Voted NO on funding student testing instead of private tutors.
Source: Bill S1 ; vote number 2001-99 Date: 05/10/2001 |
| No Child Left Behind Act, a General Statement |
Barr: No Response |
Mccain: The principles underneath No Child Left Behind -- standards, accountability, transparency, and choice-- are a major step in the right direction; taking away power from education bureaucrats and returning it to those on the front lines of education -- the local schools, the local teachers and the local parents. It has provided support and guidance to our state and local communities to strengthen our schools, while also giving much needed flexibility for every state in the use of federal education dollars. It also contains many initiatives that have helped ensure that more federal education dollars reach our classrooms rather than being lost in bureaucratic black hole
Source: "The Presidential Field: John McCain," Washington Post online election resource guide Date: 01/25/2008 |
| No Child Left Behind Act Federal Funding Level |
Barr: No Response |
Mccain: No Response |
| Teacher Pay |
Barr: No Response |
Mccain: I don’t see why a good teacher should be paid less money than a bad senator. It’s important that we have merit pay for teachers, that we have teacher testing, that we do everything we can to motivate young men and women to enter this profession. There’s a whole generation that’s retiring. It is unconscionable that the average salary of a lawyer is $79,000 a year and the average salary of a teacher is $39,000 a year
Source: Republican Debate at Dartmouth College Date: 10/29/1999 |
| Teacher Merit Based Pay |
Barr: No Response |
Mccain: It's important that we have merit pay for teachers, that we have teacher testing, that we do everything we can to motivate young men and women to enter this profession. McCain has said he would present most federal education money to states in unrestricted block grants--he would include an additional $500 million earmarked broadly for teachers' merit pay--and leave it to the states and districts to spend as they see fit.
Source: Republican Debate at Dartmouth College Date: 10/29/1999 |
| Teacher Tenure |
Barr: No Response |
Mccain: McCain feels that each and every child in every classroom deserves a teacher who is qualified and enthusiastic about teaching. “Some people just aren’t meant to be teachers, and we should help them find another line of work. Because if teachers can’t teach, our kids can’t learn.”
Source: McCain for President web Date: 07/02/1999 |
| Teacher Unions |
Barr: No Response |
Mccain: No Response |
| Teacher Standards |
Barr: No Response |
Mccain: No Response |
| Student Standards |
Barr: No Response |
Mccain: McCain adopted the Republican Main Street Partnership agenda item: Require states to demonstrate success in raising the performance of all students -- from those who score below basic to those who are already proficient -- and narrowing the gap between disadvantaged students and their more advantaged peers. Without regular assessments, we cannot determine how well students are achieving with respect to each state's performance goal.
"McCain adopted the Republican Main Street Partnership agenda item: Require states to demonstrate success in raising the performance of all students -- from those who score below basic to those who are already proficient -- and narrowing the gap between disadvantaged students and their more advantaged peers. Without regular assessments, we cannot determine how well students are achieving with respect to each state's performance goal."
Source: 2001 GOP Main Street Partnership Action Agenda for Education 01-RMSP3 Date: 07/02/2001 |
| National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Reading and Math Exams |
Barr: No Response |
Mccain: No Response |
| Education Global Superiority |
Barr: No Response |
Mccain: No Response |
| Junk Food Vending Machines in Public Schools |
Barr: No Response |
Mccain: No Response |
| Education Gap with Other Countries |
Barr: No Response |
Mccain: No Response |
| School Choice |
Barr: No Response |
Mccain: In New York City today, there are some remarkable things happening under Mayor Bloomberg, who has done marvelous work with an educational system that was clearly broken. Those can be examples of a way to improve education, provide choice and competition, and give every family the same choice I and my family had, and that is to send our child to the school of our choice.
Choice and competition is the key to success in education in America. That means charter schools, that means home schooling, it means vouchers, it means rewarding good teachers and finding bad teachers another line of work. It means rewarding good performing schools, and it really means in some cases putting bad performing schools out of business. I want every American parent to have a choice, a choice as to how they want their child educated, and I guarantee you the competition will dramatically increase the level of education in America. And I applaud our former Governor [Jeb] Bush for the great job he's done on education in Florida and America.
Source: 2007 Des Moines Register Republican Debate Date: 12/12/2007 |
| Private School Vouchers |
Barr: No Response |
Mccain: McCain proposed a school voucher program to offer education opportunities for disadvantaged children, paid for by eliminating $5.4 billion worth of subsidies for ethanol, sugar, gas and oil. Under McCain’s three-year test program, disadvantaged children would receive vouchers worth $2,000 a year. The money would be used to offset the costs of attending any school chosen by the student or parents. “We shouldn’t have special interest giveaways at the expense of our neediest children,” McCain said.
Source: Associated Press Date: 07/29/1999 |
| Charter Schools |
Barr: No Response |
Mccain: I walked into a charter school classroom in Phoenix. On the desk was a children’s book of virtues. The teacher was teaching the virtue of the month, which happened to be the importance of telling the truth. We need to inject that in all of our charter schools and in schools all over America. I would provide the much needed tax breaks that are necessary to encourage them. I would certainly make them part of any voucher program, a test voucher program which I would not take out of education funds.
Source: Phoenix Arizona GOP Debate Date: 12/17/1999 |
| Home Schooling |
Barr: No Response |
Mccain: Choice and competition is the key to success in education in America. That means home schooling.
Source: 2007 Republican primary debate on Univision Date: 12/09/2007 |
| Special Education |
Barr: No Response |
Mccain: No Response |
| Magnet Schools |
Barr: No Response |
Mccain: No Response |
| Rural Schools |
Barr: No Response |
Mccain: No Response |
| Summer School |
Barr: No Response |
Mccain: No Response |
| Teaching Evolution and Intelligent Design |
Barr: No Response |
Mccain: Teaching creationism should be decided by school districts. I believe that's up to the school districts. But I think that every American should be exposed to all theories. There's no doubt in my mind that the hand of God was in what we are today. And I do believe that we are unique, and I believe that God loves us. But I also believe that all of our children in school can be taught different views on different issues. I leave the curricula up to the school boards.
Source: 2007 GOP debate at Saint Anselm College Date: 06/03/2007 |
| Teaching of Sex Education and Birth Control Options |
Barr: No Response |
Mccain: Voted YES on $75M for abstinence education. Vote to retain a provision of the Budget Act that funds abstinence education to help reduce teenage pregnancy, using $75 million of the Maternal and Child Health Block Grant Program.
Source: Bill S 1956 ; vote number 1996-231 Date: 07/23/1996 |
| Teach about Gay and Lesbian Orientation |
Barr: No Response |
Mccain: No Response |
| Teacher Selection of Textbooks |
Barr: No Response |
Mccain: No Response |
| Religion in Public Schools |
Barr: No Response |
Mccain: McCain indicates that religious expression on public school property should be allowed. He says, “School prayer or a moment of silence should be allowed but not mandated. Education is a civil rights issue. Education reform, including school choice is necessary so every student can be prepared for success in higher education, career and life."
Source: Vote-Smart.org 2000 NPAT Date: 01/13/2000 |
| "Under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance |
Barr: No Response |
Mccain: No Response |
| Student Loans, Scholarships and Pell Grants |
Barr: No Response |
Mccain: By far, I believe the skyrocketing costs of tuition at colleges and universities across our nation is the biggest obstacle facing those who want to continue their education. Over the last 20 years, the average tuition at public educational institutions has increased by 400 percent, while tuition at private institutions has increased more than 440 percent. These are unnerving statistics for parents just starting their families, but they are a terrifying reality for parents with college-bound children.
I will continue to support significant funding for literacy-, vocational-, and technical-education programs, and broadening opportunities for high-school and adult students through strong educational initiatives, including the Carl D. Perkins Act...
I supported the 1997 Taxpayer Relief Act that created the Hope and Lifetime Learning tax credits to make college and higher education more affordable. Both of these programs are currently playing an important role in helping make college and postsecondary education more affordable for many American families, and I will continue to support them.
We must do more to make college affordable for all Americans. That is why I have proposed a tax plan that allows Americans to keep more of their hard-earned money to be used for their priorities, including higher education. In addition, I will increase the annual amount families can save in tax-free Education Savings Accounts for college expenses. I will encourage and reward savings and investment by establishing new, tax-deferred Family Security Accounts which can be used for higher education. And I will continue to support funding as generously as possible federal programs, such as Pell Grants, that help make higher education affordable for all Americans.
Source: "Q&A: The Candidates on College Issues," The Chronicle of Higher Education Date: 02/25/2000 |
| Education Tax Credits |
Barr: No Response |
Mccain: I supported the 1997 Taxpayer Relief Act that created the Hope and Lifetime Learning tax credits to make college and higher education more affordable. Both of these programs are currently playing an important role in helping make college and postsecondary education more affordable for many American families, and I will continue to support them.
We must do more to make college affordable for all Americans. That is why I have proposed a tax plan that allows Americans to keep more of their hard-earned money to be used for their priorities, including higher education. In addition, I will increase the annual amount families can save in tax-free Education Savings Accounts for college expenses. I will encourage and reward savings and investment by establishing new, tax-deferred Family Security Accounts which can be used for higher education. And I will continue to support funding as generously as possible federal programs, such as Pell Grants, that help make higher education affordable for all Americans.
Source: "Q&A: The Candidates on College Issues," The Chronicle of Higher Education Date: 02/25/2000 |
| Local Control Over Education |
Barr: No Response |
Mccain: No Response |
| Boy-Girl Achievement Gap |
Barr: No Response |
Mccain: No Response |
| Black-White Achievement Gap |
Barr: No Response |
Mccain: No Response |
| Title IX 'Equal Opportunities for Girls' |
Barr: No Response |
Mccain: No Response |
| Bilingual Education |
Barr: No Response |
Mccain: No Response |
| Math and Science |
Barr: No Response |
Mccain: No Response |
| Art and Music |
Barr: No Response |
Mccain: No Response |
| School Safety |
Barr: No Response |
Mccain: No Response |
| Drugs in Schools |
Barr: No Response |
Mccain: No Response |