Since the news is swarming with politics, and we have an election coming up, I feel the need to “put out there,” as it were, facts to make educated decisions on whom to vote for. First, probably in a series of posts, the Obama-Biden education plan:
Barack Obama’s Record
Record of Advocacy: Obama has been a leader on educational issues throughout his career. In the Illinois State Senate, Obama was a leader on early childhood education, helping create the state’s Early Learning Council. In the U.S. Senate, Obama has been a leader in working to make college more affordable. His very first bill sought to increase the maximum Pell Grant award to $5,100. As a member of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions committee, Obama helped pass legislation to achieve that goal in the recent improvements to the Higher Education Act. Obama has also introduced legislation to create Teacher Residency Programs and to increase federal support for summer learning opportunities. I won’t put everything on this site, you can access all of it here. I want to highlight things I think are extremely important.
A World class education
“I don’t want to send another generation of American children to failing schools. I don’t want that future for my daughters. I don’t want that future for your sons. I do not want that future for America.”
— Barack Obama, Jefferson-Jackson Dinner, Des Moines, Iowa, November 10, 2007
Barack Obama and Joe Biden’s Plan
Early Childhood Education
- Zero to Five Plan: The Obama-Biden comprehensive “Zero to Five” plan will provide critical support to young children and their parents. Unlike other early childhood education plans, the Obama-Biden plan places key emphasis at early care and education for infants, which is essential for children to be ready to enter kindergarten. Obama and Biden will create Early Learning Challenge Grants to promote state “zero to five” efforts and help states move toward voluntary, universal pre-school.
I like their plan because they see the need for not just early child care but, they place “key emphasis at early care and education for infants, which is essential for children to be ready to enter kindergarten.”
Wow, a strike down for TAKS, maybe?
K-12
- Reform No Child Left Behind: Obama and Biden will reform NCLB, which starts by funding the law. Obama and Biden believe teachers should not be forced to spend the academic year preparing students to fill in bubbles on standardized tests. He will improve the assessments used to track student progress to measure readiness for college and the workplace and improve student learning in a timely, individualized manner. Obama and Biden will also improve NCLB’s accountability system so that we are supporting schools that need improvement, rather than punishing them.
- Make Math and Science Education a National Priority: Obama and Biden will recruit math and science degree graduates to the teaching profession and will support efforts to help these teachers learn from professionals in the field. They will also work to ensure that all children have access to a strong science curriculum at all grade levels. And…
- Address the Dropout Crisis
- Expand High-Quality Afterschool Opportunities
- Support College Outreach Programs.
- Support College Credit Initiatives
- Support English Language Learners
Recruit, Prepare, Retain, and Reward America’s Teachers
- Recruit Teachers
- Prepare Teachers
- Retain Teachers
- Reward Teachers
Higher Education
- Create the American Opportunity Tax Credit
- Simplify the Application Process for Financial Aid
For More Information about Barack’s Plan:
Read the Pre-K to 12 Plan
Read the College Affordability Plan
Read the Education Reform Plan
Speech on Pre-K to 12 Education
Speech on College Affordability
I could go on, but you can read all of their plans here and form your own opinions. Please, don’t let me influence you!!!! 😎
To be fair, I will also post on McCain-Palin. I wanted to put them all here, but there is way to much to say about the McCain-Plain proposals. It’s like watching your favorite tv show and having to wait until next week to see what happens. 🙂 Though, I promise I will not make you wait until next week. I will post it as soon as my little fingers can type it (or in some cases, how well my cntrl-c/cntrl-v will work.)
Texas Education 