The 2012 Republican Candidates (So Far): What They've Said And Done On Education In The Past, And What They Might Do

Education Next:

Two months before his 2008 election, Barack Obama addressed a roomful of Ohio public school teachers, praising their long hours and talking about his daughters' starting 2nd and 5th grade. It was a typical Democratic education speech, with vows of support for early childhood education, for building up programs that help students from "the day they're born until the day they graduate from college."

Then Obama departed from the usual feel-good talking points. He touted competition, charter schools, and school choice. "I believe in public schools, but I also believe in fostering competition within the public schools," he said. "And that's why, as president, I'll double the funding for responsible charter schools."

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Comments

[Jeremiah Macartney]

01:46 AM on 07/30/2011

Ron Paul 2012!!!!

[Jester2069]

12:12 AM on 07/29/2011

I can't think of one good thing that the federal Department of Education does for schools. It gives money in subsidies and grants, sure, but it's just returning the taxes we send up. Any politician that touts it otherwise or talks about increasing it (thing No Child Left Behind) has a massive disconnect with the average citizen.

I'd love to see a country without the DoEd. Ron Paul gets my vote for other reasons, but that one's a biggie.

[SmartAmerica]

03:24 AM on 07/30/2011

Teabaggers are hilarious. Here are a few facts to inform your ridiculous opinions.

1.) When you say the government is simply "returning the taxes we send up" you're only partly right. If you live in NJ, NY, or MA you only get back a fraction of the money you pay in federal taxes. If you live in LA, AZ, or MS you get back more than a dollar for every dollar you pay in taxes.

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2010/04/the_red_state_ripoff.html

2) Compare AL and CA.
AL: pop. 4.7M; Total federal aid (2008) $576M
CA: pop. 37.6M; Total federal aid (2008) $5B

$576M / 4.7M = approximately $120/person
$5B / 37.6M = approximately $130/person

Recall $130 represents ALL federal expenditures: schools, housing, public safety, etc. How much highway need maintaining in AL versus CA? How much food inspected? How much crime in a state of 37 million? CA is getting robbed by AL. To their credit, Californians mostly see their obligation to help uplift their less well-to-do fellow citizens.

http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/2011/tables/11s0432.pdf

3) If you can't understand what the DoE does, try looking at their Website.

4) There's one bad thing about the DoE: it allows states like Kentucky to spend money on a creation museum, while California foots part of the bill for real science education in Kentucky. Again, liberal elites get the shaft.

KY, indeed.

[Jester2069]

10:13 AM on 07/31/2011

1. I didn't say I don't understand the DoEd...I said "I can't think of one good thing [it] does for schools"

There, one's enough. And please, how in the world does pointing out uneven tax distribution relate to the *lack* of a need for another federal department?

Side note: I live in Alabama now, and lived in CA for 3 years. Did I see altruistic people all over the golden state "seeing their obligation to help uplift their less well-to-do fellow citizens"? Certainly not anymore than I do here...especially if you factor out the SF bay area.

[heymjo]

06:56 PM on 07/28/2011

We keep comparing public schools to charter schools, but what we don't take into consideration is that public schools MUST take anyone who walks through the door; charter schools are selective. Also, public schools cannot get rid of any students (other than suspension for behavioral issues); charter schools can toss out anyone, even for not meeting academic standards. So to compare the two and say that charter schools make public schools competitive is a specious comparison.

[armchairpickleback]

03:17 PM on 07/28/2011

RonPaul 2012

[Freedom and Peace]

04:45 PM on 07/28/2011

Another article where Ron Paul is not mentioned once. Fortunately for us the Independent voter is waking up to the truth...

http://tinyurl.com/yq85qp

[armchairpickleback]

03:29 AM on 07/29/2011

I actually love it. Ron Paul, is going to be the next president, but politically speaking, he is in a perfect position, he still gets 10% WITH THE MEDIA IGNORING HIM!!! ITS AWESOME!!!

[nickleby]

04:46 PM on 07/28/2011

It's true. He would allow the schools to make their own choices as to what should happen. Even Lily Eskelson, V.P. of the NEA, agrees that decentralizing is the answer.