Election Fever 2008
Topics: Choosing a School, College Financial Planning, Choosing a Preschool, Charter Schools, Social Studies/History, No Child Left Behind, National Standards and Tests, School Safety and Violence, Poverty and Equality, Creativity, Learning and Your Child's Brain
Desegregation. Affirmative action. School prayer. Sex education. These are the educational issues that have marked America's history in the 20th century. But what about the 21st? From tightening school accountability to loosening federal involvement in learning, tomorrow's president will face some tough decisions. So why doesn't education lead the way in political debates and town hall meetings, as the candidates make their way along the campaign trail?
Adam Thibault, Senior Policy Analyst at ED in 08, a campaign launched by the nonpartisan organization Strong American Schools, says that the candidates are “holding the ball” on the issue of education. Maybe because no one wants to be left holding the bag. “Most are playing it safe right now,” he says, citing the war in Iraq and the nation's economic troubles as factors that have bumped education off the front page.
According to research conducted by ED in '08, a whopping 89 percent of the public want the candidates to spend more time talking about education. On behalf of that 89 percent, we went to the source, contacting the campaigns of John McCain and Brarack Obama to ask about their views on education today. For those of you not quite certain yet who to vote for on election day, don't worry-- we've asked both of the candidates, whether Democrat or Republican, to answer the same five questions, so you can view their answers back-to-back.
Just what are the key educational issues? Which catchphrases fall again and again from the candidates' lips? As an introduction to our upcoming series of in-depth candidate profiles, here's an overview of the hot educational topics that will define the 2008 race for president.
