An Analysis of the Candidates on Education

When I originally decided to write this analysis, I wanted to do in-depth, heavily researched look at each individual policy proposal. Unfortunately, I am not an education policy expert or authority figure, and I have not had the time to do the extensive research on this that I would have liked to (I did do some research though). I hope you will forgive me, and I promise that in the future (assuming this blog is still around at the next election), I will do a better, more in depth analysis.

Basically, there isn't that much different between the candidates on education, but Obama is slightly better on the issues. Both believe in charter schools, but McCain falls more in line with the school choice crowd. Both believe in merit pay, but Obama believes more in professional development. Both like No Child Left Behind and believe greater measurement of progress, but Obama actually wants to put more funding into implementation. Beyond that, they are mostly the same on education. The only issue that there seems to be a real difference on is early childhood education. McCain believes some money should go to certain "Centers of Excellence" for the better performing Head Start Programs (rather than helping the entire Head Start program). Obama wants to put $10 billion towards voluntary, universal preschool. When it comes to education, Obama has my vote (he has my vote anyways, but only a little when it comes to education).

Ultimately, both candidates want to put more funding into education (although Obama wants to put a little more). But here is the sad truth the way I see it: whoever is the next President of the United States, education will not get the amount nearly the attention by the federal government as it should.

Before 9/11, it looked like education was going to be the top domestic priority, maybe the top overall priority, in the country (granted, with a bad piece of legislation). After 9/11, we had to adjust out priorities more towards security and foreign policy (and rightly so at the time). But since then, we haven't gone back, and our public schools have not gotten the kind of attention it deserves form the federal government. And it doesn't look like it will anytime soon. Not as long as we have a growing deficit, a devastating tax cut for the upper class, and two wars (one of which should have never been started in the first place).

The only way our government can ever really help education in the United States is to realign our priorities. This means realigning the way we spend money (i.e. get out of Iraq, cut the military budget in a reasonable manner, get rid of the Bush tax cuts). More of our money should be geared not just towards funding and reforming reduction, but funding and reforming other programs (which thus carries over to education). I have written about this before, and will continue to write about it in the future. To borrow from James Carville a little: It's Society Stupid (not just education). Until we figure that out, our education system is destined to continue to fail us.

For more on education positions by the candidates visit Obama's website, McCain's website, the New York Times, and CNN.

White Supremacists support . . . Obama?

I find it hard to believe this is a real story, but I have yet to find anything to contradict it. Esquire is reporting that 3 out of 4 major white supremacists figures are supporting Barack Obama. In addition, 1 major black nationalist figure is supporting McCain. All I can do is laugh.

I'm not an expert, but . . .

Recently, Sarah Palin promised the parents of disabled students that a McCain administration would provide more federal funding via IDEA. Except the money would not help improve services in public schools themselves, but give parents "more choices" by allowing them to attend private schools with public funds. This sounds nice, but how does Governor Palin promise that services at a priate school will be any better? For that matter, how does the "voucher/charter school crowd" promise that those private schools will be any better for their students?

I am not an expert or authority on education policy, and I'm sure there is a good defense of all this. But to me, it seems the money would be better served improving public schools (it is called "public" for a reason). I have always had the feeling conservative education officials want to ultimately privatize education, just like health care (though I could be wrong). Furthermore, I find it hard to imagine that any of this will ever be adequately funded give the deficit and McCain's proposal for a spending freeze. I did find the end of the article rather interesting in how this is addressed:

"Ms. Palin said the costs could be covered by striking earmarks 'for political pet projects' from the federal budget, but Mr. McCain has already pledged that money for other goals."

Election 2008 (repost)

The following is the exact text I have copied and pasted this morning on the first version of my blog. It is the last post I made on there (other than my post saying that my blog has moved). I am re-posting it because it states my position on the election which I have yet to talk about until I started up my blog again. Enjoy!

I haven't talked about the 2008 election yet. It is probably not a surprise that as liberal as I am in my politics, that I am supporting Barack Obama. There are numerous reasons for this, including:
His support for getting out of Iraq as opposed to John McCain's belief that any kind of "victory" is still achievable (it isn't).

-His belief that economic policies should be geared more towards helping poor and middle class Americans instead of the wealthier ones.
-His background in civil rights and academics (hey, the guy is actually intelligent).
-His pragmatic approach to decision making.
-His youth and lack connection to the divisions of the 1960s (for more on this one, read Andrew Sullivan's outstanding essay for The Atlantic back in December 2007).

In addition, I really do not want John McCain to be President. Not only because of Senator McCain's stance on Iraq, but for his reversal on other issues. While he is still a man I greatly respect for his long service to America, he is no longer the "maverick" he used to be. McCain, who once ran probably the most honorable campaigns in modern American political history in 2000, has now sold his soul in the hopes of winning the White House this year. For a while I thought that if McCain won the White House, he might actually say "the hell with 2 terms. I did what I had to do to win, and now I'm going back to being the Maverick I really am." However, his choice of the disastrous Sarah Palin proved to me that it isn't just politics. John McCain is a poor decision maker, and would make a terrible President.

Given the past 8 years, now more than ever, I feel we need Barack Obama. If he wins, I will celebrate his victory, but I promise, I will be his biggest critic starting after Inauguration Day (as I would for any President).

I promise that, before the election, I will do an UNBIASED analysis of both candidate's positions on education issues.

The Photograph comes from Barack Obama's website.