Obama's Education Policy

Abuskedti

I don't quite understand.

What does it mean for a candidate to have an Education Policy. Is this simply designed to help voters understand how they feel about the issue. Surely these "policies" don't get implemented when they are elected.

raszputini

These are the policies that Obama WANTS to enact as a President in regards to education. It's just like any other issue, and these are the efforts Obama has outlined on his platform as things he WILL do. He's went so far as make some effort as indicated a funding mechanism.

I think you and I are on the same page here, Abuskedti. I don't think most of these will be implemented either, but Obama is at least serious about claiming they will:

"Though Obama called for a renewed investment in math and science education, his plan would actually pull money from the federal government's greatest investments and achievements in math and science. Obama would delay funding for the NASA Constellation program for five years, though he would maintain the $500 million in funding the program would receive for its manufacturing and technology base, in order to help fund his education policy. The campaign did not say how much money delaying the program would provide.

The plan would also be paid for through the auctioning off of surplus public land, closing the CEO pay deductibility loophole, reduce costs of standardized procurement and through the some of the money that would be saved by ending the war in Iraq."

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/11/20/474908.aspx

raszputini

Keep in mind that Arkansas and Mississippi have been able to reach new levels of inefficiency under FEDERAL oversight. I'm just saying we were competitive internationally until the Fed really started micromanaging education.

Schools that don't adequately prepare their students for college very quickly get that reputation, and then it's up to those localities to force the issue. It worked before, for the most part.

Federal standards inevitably stifle creativity, the question is just how much.

slightofjeff wrote:

Yeah, I agree with that. I mean, there do need to be government standards. So you don't have some state (I'm looking at you, Arkansas) say, "Hey, you can count to four. Congratulations, you're a high school graduate."



I'll agree a lot of this is cyclical. Mom doesn't care about education because she wasn't brought up that way, and so on and so forth, and passes that down to her kids.

A lot of what is wrong with America could be fixed by parents stepping up and taking some responsibility. But some of them won't, perhaps because they are lazy and good for nothing, or perhaps because this is the attitude fostered by government handouts.

Thecure

slightofjeff wrote:

McCain is for school vouchers, which I believe someone on this thread already brought up.

I'm not sure where I stand on those just yet. The principle: "If your child's school sucks, feel free to take him to another school" sounds good in theory, but I'm not sure it will work so well in practice.

I think, overall, I believe schools are a local problem requiring a local solution. I don't think some dude in Washington D.C. knows what's best for students in rural Montana ... and so forth.

I also know that no amount of money ... no amount of improvements ... are going to make a difference to those kids who just don't want to learn. I think the vast majority of kids who don't pass high school (not all, certainly, but most) aren't brought up to value education, and so they just don't give a rat's ass.

It's not because they're stupid. And it's not because their teachers suck. They just don't care. And no amount of money can fix that.

while i agree with McCain's view of having school vouchers. i also don't see how it will work for one reason. what if those schools become to big and what made it a good school is ruined becuase there are too many kids in the classes. also, while i understand your view about parents having to give a damm, i have to say that some parents are working so hard to give their children the basics that maybe they are not available as much as they would like. i still believe that a good educational policy must be a great economic policy. like the great 2-PAC once said "instead of war on poverty they got a war on drugs, so the police can bother me"