Thurgood Marshall graduation 2012
Badin vs. Versailles
Law Enforcement Memorial Day
E-mail 
E-mail 
E-mail Home > Blogs > Get on the Bus > Archives > 2008 > September > 09 > Entry
Obama outlines his education proposals
(Barack Obama speaks at Stebbins High School Tuesday.)
There weren’t a lot of new ideas from Barack Obama Tuesday during a speech in Dayton. The headline was his support of doubling to $400 million the amount of federal aid for charter schools. Otherwise, he mostly emphasized proposals he has made in the past.
Among the initiatives he highlighted:
—Heavier investment in early childhood education. He is pushing to expand federal aid for pre-school programs.
—College tax break. Obama wants to offer a $4,000 tax credit for students willing to commit to community or military service after college.
—New teachers. He wants to recruit new teachers to the profession using service scholarships
—Replacing bad teachers. Obama said there should be a way to remove bad teachers from the profession, but said he was open to a variety of ways to do that.
—Pay for performance. He repeated his admiration for programs, such as on in Dayton, that gives extra pay to teachers who demonstrate high performance.
—Longer school days. He hinted that the U.S. may have to consider instituting a longer school day, pointing to other nations that have it.
—Graduation rate. Obama pledged to make the U.S. No. 1 for high school graduation rate. (I noticed he didn’t pledge to make the country No.1 in the world for test scores.)
—College level courses. He said he wants to increase by 50 percent the number of high school kids taking college level or AP courses.
—Innovative school funds. He wants special funds targeted to support schools trying new ideas.
—New charter accountability. In addition to giving more money to charter schools, Obama called for stricter accountability to shut down bad charter schools.
—After school and summer school. Citing China he said if other nations can offer these programs, the U.S. should find a way to do the same.
—New classroom technology. Obama said he wanted to improve school technology by adding new tools like video “smart boards” and student laptops to classrooms.
—Paying for it all. Obama said all this could be paid for by redirecting the cost of just a few days in Iraq
—Testing. He was critical of “teaching to the test” and called on teachers to be a part of an effort to create “new assessments” for the future.
—Accountability. Obama called for “parent contracts” in which parents would promise to do their part to help their kids in school and promised an annual address to the nation to discuss progress toward education goals.
NOTE: This post also appears on the Education Writers Association’s Education Election blog.
(Image credit: Jan Underwood, DDN)
Permalink | Comments (11) | Post your comment | Categories: Tracking Barack Obama
Comments
By Dave
September 15, 2008 12:03 PM | Link to this
Laura, the contracts I refer to were in another state. They did not have a place for any signature except the student and the parents.
By Laura
September 14, 2008 9:39 AM | Link to this
School supporter, in reality, the only thing a candidate needs to receive NEA support is to be on the Democratic ticket and support a liberal agenda. Not all school employees or even all NEA members support or agree with NEA (or local affiliates) position on candidates. That is why some opt to pay the fair-share fee rather than be connected with NEA.
By Laura
September 14, 2008 9:34 AM | Link to this
Re: parent contracts. Dave, I assume you are referring to the ones DPS sends out. Actually, there is a place for teachers and principals to sign. In reality, it means nothing. Just what recourse does the school have if the parent signs it and then doesn’t follow through? None. If teachers and principals sign it, they actually could be fired if they don’t follow through.
By Worried DPS Parent
September 13, 2008 9:54 AM | Link to this
All sounds wonderful, but how much, if any, of it will be implemented? Like Laura says, they all promise the moon…
By School Supporter
September 12, 2008 3:33 PM | Link to this
Laura writes, “candidates … promise the moon … fails to follow through.” But compare: “To receive the NEA Fund For Children and Public Education’s support, candidates must complete a thorough screening and evaluation process, driven by Association members at the state and local levels. Only those candidates who measure up on the issues receive the NEA Fund for Children and Public Education’s recommendation and support.” Maybe Association members need a more realistic perspective on what it means to “measure up.”
By Laura
September 11, 2008 8:18 PM | Link to this
The thing that bothers me the most about this issue is that every election we have candidates who promise the moon, the public buys it and then the elected official fails to follow through. Happens every time.
By Dave
September 11, 2008 6:23 PM | Link to this
I saw the “parent contracts” when my kids were little. We were expected to sign off on all sorts of things our kids were responsible for, and all sorts of things the parents were responsible for. Only problem was, there was nothing saying the school had any responsibility whatsoever. And the principal through that meant she was responsible to no one, no matter how badly she ran the school into the ground.
By deb
September 11, 2008 5:44 PM | Link to this
Good point Laughing….How can teachers teach students who come in and cuss out the teacher, & when parents come in, they don’t treat the teacher any better…..And a teacher’s pay is to be tied to this family’s attitude towards education???? I hope that never happens…educating students in the city is unfortunately very different than educating students in the suburbs…
By laughing
September 10, 2008 9:25 PM | Link to this
Parent Contracts - I’d like to see that one happen -where the “parents are held accountable”.
By School Supporter
September 10, 2008 1:53 PM | Link to this
OldProf writes, “Obama … ideas … unworkable.” From which we infer the Democratic nominee, with all the resources available to him, has an education platform which does not qualify him to be an Ohio School Board member let alone an Ohio General Assembly member. Also note that ending the war does not make investment money available—it just provides more opportunity for deficit spending. Does Senator Obama know as much about economics as he ought? Nothing to take solace in, Oldprof!
By Oldprof
September 10, 2008 6:38 AM | Link to this
Obama has no new ideas here, and most of these have been tried and either failed or were found unworkable. But I take solace: presidents have almost no influence over public education anyway, so few of these talking points will take root regardless of who’s elected.