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: BoardBuzz: NSBA's Daily Weblog

Candidates discuss education plans

Representatives from the two presumptive presidential candidates had another face off on education today at the New America Foundation. Sen. John McCain, the presumptive Republican candidate, again sent his advisor Lisa Keegan to discuss his education plan. Keegan, former Arizona state school superintendent, has been the only person from McCain's camp who talks about education in public forums. On the other hand, presumptive Democratic candidate Sen. Barack Obama has sent a different representative to each event. Jon Schnur, a former education advisor for Al Gore, spoke for Obama at today's event. But he made it clear that he is not a formal advisor to Obama, he is one of the many who are "feeding ideas" to the campaign.

Schnur talked about Obama's proposed education plan from preschool to higher education that has been made available on the candidate's website for some time now. While McCain has not proposed a comprehensive education plan, Keegan gave a few more details about the candidate's direction regarding teacher quality. McCain would:

-allocate 60% of ESEA's Title II funding to give bonuses to teachers who teach in high-need school or a high need subject or who raise student achievement. Principals would distribute the bonuses and can in addition to test scores award teachers based on other criteria.
-allocate 35% of Title I funding to professional development focusing on instructional strategies; and
-allocate 5% for state grants to recruit teachers graduate from the top 25% of their class or who participate in an alternative certificate program.

However, Keegan couldn't give any details on what McCain would do in early childhood education and in higher education, saying that the candidate will address these issues soon.

For McCain's latest education plan, see here
For Obama's plan, check out here

Full post as published by BoardBuzz: NSBA's Daily Weblog on July 25, 2008 (boomark / email).