John Edwards: Education Visionary?

As a teacher and voter, I am hugely impressed with John Edwards' comprehensive education agenda, unveiled over the past weekend. An ideal presidential candidate is someone who a voter feels "gets it," whatever that ineffable "it" may be. A vote for a president is a vote of faith that in the future, whatever arises, he/she has the ability to understand, empathize, and enact appropriate, beneficial improvements. The Edwards initiatives indicate that he "gets" the needs of children and teachers, an encouraging bellwether.

The Washington Post observed that the biggest emphasis from Edwards was not on testing, but on improving conditions for teachers. "Teachers, not tests, are the single most important factor in successful schools," Edwards said.

Edwards is right, and his ideas to improve teaching conditions are compelling. He proposes higher pay for teachers -- particularly strong veterans -- to teach in high-needs schools. This will fuel a redistribution of resources that will help lift up poor and suffering neighborhoods. This variation on military "hazard pay" is a much stronger solution to closing the social class achievement gap than the popular "merit pay" idea of giving bonuses to teachers who pump up their students' multiple-choice test scores.

He wants to create a National Teacher University, a kind of West Point for teachers. This will attract more quality young teachers to the field and nurture a culture of excellence -- it's a great idea.

When I was a rookie teacher in the Bronx, I endured a trial-by-fire initiation of teaching a class stacked by the administration with problem-reputation students. It led to extreme stress, diminished teaching, and many disappointments for the students and me. Under Edwards' plan, that kind of hazing could never happen. In discussing new teacher support and retention, he articulates:

"A third of all new teachers leave the profession within three years. Students in high-poverty and high-minority schools are twice as likely as other students to be taught by inexperienced teachers. Edwards will help states support teachers during their early years. He will encourage a transition year for rookie teachers with smaller class sizes, reduced teaching loads, and minimal extra duties. Resources will support structured mentoring programs pairing new teachers with successful veterans. Finally, he will support professional development based in actual classroom needs."

He goes on to recognize the importance of reducing class sizes, building new schools, and assessing students not with one be-all and end-all test, but with a range of tools. He also -- among many other ideas -- proposes universal four-year-old preschool, funding better special education, and more "early college high school" programs on college campuses to earn a high school diploma and associate's degree in just five years.

It's exciting stuff.

I may sound like I'm on the Edwards campaign payroll, but the truth is, I haven't yet decided who has my vote. However, Edwards' plan has refreshingly raised the level of the education discussion among presidential candidates. His plan indicates he "gets it."

Candidates Clinton, Obama, Richardson, and Biden have all popularly spoken out against the stranglehold of No Child Left Behind, but Edwards has now set a high bar for them to articulate their positions on this crucial domestic issue.

Dan Brown is the author of the rookie teacher memoir, The Great Expectations School. He will be reading from and discussing his book at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, September 25, at the KGB Bar in New York City.

Comments

[asher]

John Edwards 08' "The People's President" The only Dem who has been leading on ALL the issues.
Here's to returning our government back to "We the people"...

[edgery]

John Edwards has put forth the plans and changed the debate within the Democratic Party this year, on issues ranging from health care to poverty, on education and yesterday on attacking the HIV/AIDS epidemic. He keeps upping the bar and leading the discussion.

Yet, many in the traditional media sources continue to tout Clinton as the presumptive Democratic nominee and Obama as the main challenger. Polls within the Democratic sphere even seem to bear this out (though how much the respondents are influenced by the overwhelming media attention of these two candidates has not been measured).

Here's what I find amazing about the Clinton/Obama parade: in head-to-head matches against potential Republican candidates, according to the latest polls by SUSA in 8 states (AL IA KS KY MO NM OH VA), Edwards is the clear Democratic victor.

Is it possible the Democratic party is about to, once again, snatch defeat from the jaws of victory? Simply amazing.

[anonyMoses]

There is no question that Edwards is the most visionary of the major candidates (as Posh Beckham might say). He proves it over and over again.
But who has the better reality?
I'd say the answer is edwards yet again.
And when you have better visions and better reality...you've got a winning combination.

If either Hillary or Barack would accept this evident truth, and accept a VP slot...the Media would be forced to include Edwards within their reports, instead of just the two who pay the most.

[annefrank]

Yes - John Edwards leads while other candidates are delivering Obama Girl and Mafia videos. Then they follow Edwards - and copy his proposals.
John Edwards will be a great President!

[Podewumun]

All I can say is, if America WANTS or NEEDS an entire generation of DUMMY DITCH DIGGERS (as my dad used to curl his lip and mutter), then stick with Bonzo's idiotic NCLB program, and continue "teaching to the test"!
"Critical thinking"? "Problem solving"? "Logic"?
Fuggitaboutit!

[talak]

I haven't read the plan, but I understand that it pushes for smaller high schools. I have long thought that many of the problems that students encounter in high school could (at least, partially) be solved just by having a smaller population. It cuts down on the level of anonymity that allows students to attack other students and get away with it.

Just as teachers suffer when trying to work in an unfriendly environment, so do students. A high schooler can hardly concentrate on schoolwork when he is worried about being taunted or physically attacked. As a parent of a young man who is now in college and as someone who lives in suburbia, I can tell you that these things happen in the so-called "good" schools, too.

John Edwards is my guy. He keeps coming up with great and detailed proposals. Too bad the media has made this into a two-candidate race.

[ihavenobias]

The problem is that while just about any reasonable person would agree with all of this, that same "reasonable person" flips out at the potential tax increase that might be needed to make it happen.

But that sad fact applies to so many issues in this post-Reagan, tax averse society...

[JoAnnCr]

Here is Edwards’s tax plan the first two to cover the cost of the health care plan:

1. Eliminate the Bush tax cuts for those earning over $200,000 per year. Did you know the richest got a greater tax cut than the lower income earners?

2. Return the capital gains tax to a higher amount, 28%, so that investment income is treated closer to earned income.

3. Keep estate tax on very large estates ($4 million or more)

Reduction of taxes for the middle class:

1. Tax credit for contribution to a savings account

2. Expand child care credit

3. Triple the Earned Income Tax Credit for single adults and cut the marriage penalty.

Check out the full details of the plan: http://www.johnedwards.com/issues/tax-reform/tax-policy-4pg.pdf

Urge anyone who has questions about Edwards to read his policy to avert hearsay.

[JoAnnCr]

You are correct that John Edwards is a visionary, but this is a tough place to be with the current "stay the course”, wealthy-take-all insider focus. The panderers use baseless distractions to keep Edwards at bay but carefully watch him to see what policy he comes up with next. Those policies, they know, will structure the next conversation.

Edwards indeed has set a high bar on all of the issues. In fact, Clinton liked his health care plan so much she unabashedly used most of it in her plan and called it her own. Rather than coming out with the plan first, the "original health care advocate" waited until the Edwards system was seven and a half months old to take the short cut and use his creative ideas.

You decide how long you want to wait in the wings to advocate for Edwards. I urge you to stand up for an honest, decent, well-prepared visionary because the more we support him, the greater chance vision will prevail and expand in our country.

John Edwards is the idea guy. He's also the leader guy. Congratulations on noticing.