Barack Obama on Education
Americans voted in Barack Hussein Obama as president of the United States in an election weighted down with the harsh realities of a down-turning economy and two costly wars. Now that the dust is beginning to settle, many Americans are wondering what the new president will do to improve their children's education.
Throughout his campaign, Barack Obama has said he plans to take a fresh, objective look at the age-old debate over education issues. “A truly historic commitment to education – a real commitment will require new resources and new reforms,” Obama says. “It will require a willingness to break free from the same debates that Washington has been engaged in for decades – Democrat versus Republican; vouchers versus the status quo; more money versus more accountability. And most of all, it will take a President who is honest about the challenges we face – who doesn’t just tell everyone what they want to hear, but what they need to hear.” Where does Obama stand specifically on the most pressing education issues? Here’s our cheat sheet on education according to Obama:
Standardized Testing
Standardized testing is stuck in the crossfire in the debate over accountability, and Obama has stepped up to take aim. He says that too often standardized tests fail to provide valuable or timely feedback. Meanwhile, “creativity has been drained from classrooms, as too many teachers are forced to teach to fill-in-the-bubble tests,” Obama says. He doesn’t go so far as to say he’ll drop testing completely; it should be one of the “tools that we use to make sure our children are learning. It just can’t dominate the curriculum to an extent where we are pushing aside those things that will actually allow children to improve and accurately assess the quality of the teaching that is taking place in the classroom.” How does he plan to revamp testing? “I will provide funds for states to implement a broader range of assessments that can evaluate higher-order skills, including students’ abilities to use technology, conduct research, engage in scientific investigation, solve problems, present and defend their ideas,” says Obama.
School Choice
Obama says his focus is on providing good schools for all kids, and that's why he does not support vouchers that allow parents to use public school money for private school. “We need to invest in our public schools and strengthen them, not drain their fiscal support,” he says. “In the end, vouchers would reduce the options available to children in need. I fear these children would truly be left behind in a private market system.” Obama is more open to charter schools working within the public school system, calling them “important innovators” which improve healthy competition among public schools. However, Obama says there need to be strong accountability measures in place.
No Child Left Behind
Obama's catch phrase for this topic is, “No Child Left Behind left the money behind,” meaning that unfulfilled funding promises have limited the program's effectiveness in improving public education. He says while the goals of No Child Left Behind are right, the way they’ve been implemented is wrong: there needs to be better assessment and a greater effort to ensure that every child has a successful teacher. “Particularly at a time when our nation is facing a shortage in teachers due to retirement and retention problems, it is important to ensure that we can attract, support, and retain high-quality teachers,” he says. How does Obama propose we do this? By experimenting with alternative preparation, mentoring and professional development programs, in addition to providing fresh incentives for serving high-need schools. Specifically, he plans to provide funding for 200 new Teacher Residency Programs, an idea he introduced in the Senate last year. In these programs, individuals completing coursework for teacher certification could serve as apprentices in the classrooms of veteran teachers, as long as they pledged at least three years of service in the sponsoring district.
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Comments from readers
Not only that but where is the funding coming from for the universal preschool? It's a terrific theory but there's no explanation as to how it will take place. Having a universal preschool is like adding another school system to each district. More teachers, board members, aides and assistants, not to mention their salaries to boot. Then we're back to the same issue discused his his "No Child Left Behind" but now for the youngest and most impressionable students.
Sorry Obama, these are nice theories but you've got nothing notions to back them up with.
The "No Child Left Behind Act" didn't leave the money behind; it left the kids with disabilities behind. The schools don't care if a child falls behind or not. If a child doesn't meet their expectations or pass the SOLs they reccommend alternative schools.
Alternative schools are not the answer. My child doesn't have behavioral problems, she is simple hearing impaired, vision impaired, with visiual perceptual problems, and audiotory processing problems. I have 5 medical doctors that tell me on every visit how well or daughter is doing. I provide the money for this not the schools. I provide and give her thearpy not he schools. These doctors have also told me how the school system would not support her needs.
Before you make statements in reference to take away someone's freedom from making a choice of a school for their child, you need to get your facts straight.
After all the governement gives money to the school system no matter if the child attends. They recieve money simple because the child leaves in the district. Yet the schools don't give help nor support to children in need.
Our taxes a portion goes to the school system no matter if our child attends, yet the school does not give support for children in need. So why should we pay taxes?
The more disabilities a child has the more money the school receives, yet the child with the disabilities doesn't get any extra help, which gets pocketed into the schools to go on unnessary things.
So don't stand up and say what you believe and support is right because it's not. After all our child was left behind when the "No Child Left Behind Act" was introduced. It's a fancy saying that means nothing to me. I've seen how promising it really is, which is not at all.
The one thing I'm sure of is you will NOT recieve my vote!
Sincerly,
Homeschooling mom and advocate for children with disabilites.
YOUR DOING A GOOD JOB KEEP IT UP
We suggest that he should have secret service protection at all times.
Put your girls where your mouth is Obama, and show how much you REALLY support public education. It would go a long way to show you care, especially to us parents who can't afford to get our kids out of poorly performing schools into private schools like you can.
Obama just states that the ideas for the no child left behind act were good, not the way they went forward with the plan itself, so how about you get your facts straight
McCain lost me when he said "I don't know anything about the economy and I don't want to," during the primary debates. Instead of proving in the months since that he wanted to help us out with the economy, he only further proved to me that he didn't represent me in any way. His choice of Palin as a running mate, and her numerous on camera blunders, showed that the entire campaign was reactive, not proactive. We have been reactive for far too long. It's time to be proactive for a change.
Hooray for Obama!
I have been working with urban area students for the past 2 1/2 years. I try my best to teach my students many different subjects and important issues while also building character, I have learned that most of my students are not familiar with structure, I strongly feel that early childhood and preschool teachers need to teach our children to value their education at an early age, when children are learning effectively at an early age we are teaching them to form a behavior that will benefit them when they continue their education in the future, I love Obama's idea regarding alternative programs for preparing highly qualified teachers, I am currently achieving my BA in Health Ed with a minor in Education this spring 2009
My experience as a preschool teacher has motivated me to learn more about elementary education, I hope to join the Boston Teacher Residency program in order to become an effective teacher before being placed in an urban district, I have no problem with helping those in strong need because I was once that child who felt that education was a waste of time, focus, and energy, therefore I can relate to urban school students on a personal level, I had some boring teachers who were less concerned about my academic achievements, but this one special education teacher went the extra mile for me on a personal and academic level, I was not placed in special education because of a learning disability, I was placed in special education because of my unwillingness to excel, sometimes all it takes is that one teacher to motivate our children to reach for their true potential
let's not forget that most of our urban school students are facing so much grief within their home base, this is why we also need more passionate teachers who want to truly encourage those students who are facing many hardships, we do not need teachers who want their summer vacations, and all these paid holidays, and luxurious benefits from being a teacher, yes teachers have it tough do not get me wrong, but do not become a teacher when it is something that your not passionate about, all this does is allow our students who need dedicated help to continue to be left behind and that is not fair to our children, please pray for me because my calling for teaching was revealed to me several years ago and I tried my best to deny it, but GOD has the last say in all things, prepare me so that I can do what other teachers are less willing to do, it will not be perfect, but give me the strength to endure
people please keep in mind that O'bama and his administration are human beings, I did not vote for O'bama because he is black, I voted for O'bama because there is a possibility that his policies can make things a bit better than they are now, let us see what happens when things are placed into motion, nothing will change overnight, but let's be more open minded and realistic about things, it does not matter who was elected president because everybody will never ever be pleased or satisfied and that is the reality, let us as a nation focus on doing better than what we are doing now, never be content with anything, always reach for more while being humble and less greedy, learn to be of service to others while expecting nothing in return, peace & love to you all
thanks for listening
I was dealing with my stepkids and the lose of my husband.
Being an engineering student, I fully understand his push for math and sciences. Engineering is one of the fast growing fields right now. But how can he encourage these subjects when he is cutting funding for NASA for five years? NASA is one of the premier employers of math, science, and engineering majors. So these students will graduate and have fewer opportunities for employment... His ideas sound great on paper, but I'm not sure how they will work in the real world.
Your planing for education is good and I will waiting for your promisses!!!!
"think and do the best"
I hope that I was wrong and Mr. Obama will be a great president. I have no reason to think that he will not be. I voted based on personal beliefs, which I will admit were mostly religious.
As for education, he will not be able to fix the problems that we have. He can put money into it, try to get teachers pay raised, and all the good intentions he has, but none of it will change the fact that there is too much red tape to cut through during the 4-8 years he will be in office.
I work VERY hard in my classroom to teach my first graders to read. I spend hundreds of dollars of my own money each year. Still there is not enought time to do what I know needs to be done due to the constraints that are put upon me.
Let me tell you what REALLY stands in the way of me getting done what needs to be done. It's not the kids, the parents, or me. It's politics. There are people who work at our district office who dictate what we do and what resources we have, and we do not get much choice of what goes on in the classroom. These people usually have very little teaching experience, and spend very few hours observing their plans in action. They get their jobs based on WHO they know; not WHAT they know. They do not care about the students we teach.
I need TIME TO TEACH. A really good teacher can teach with a piece of chalk and a chalkboard if she really knows what she is doing. I cannot jump through hoops and dance a jig and then be expected to work a miracle. Teaching is actually pretty simple when you just get down to business and get it done. Take away the PROGRAMS and POLICIES and just get your most experienced teachers to let you know what is the best way to do it, and we'll all be better off.
I hope Obama will work a miracle. I am praying for him, because there is a lot standing in his way.
I say we need to support the good teachers and give the the tools they need to do their jobs.
-Effective, empowered teachers and school leaders;
-Student assessments that stress 21st century skills;
-Universal access to high-quality early education;
-A safe, healthy learning environment; and
-Affordable college for all students;
then let President Obama know! visit EDVOTERS.ORG and sign the petition today!
hope yall know he want to change school hours longer and the day and the year we go to school
kids wont have a life if he does that.
just saying yall shoiuld think about it even though he is our president already i love obama nut this is too crazy to do that
i am in eighth grade he better do something and fast aabout test scores
thank you for reading
outcome and a false positive to academic acheivement.
We wonder why the children of our generation are involved in drive-by shootings , gangs , teen pregnancy?
Thanks for your comments about extending school hours. There is a JustAsk question that calls for community opinions on this topic, and your comments have been added as answers on that page:
http://www.education.com/question/children-spend-time-school-school/
Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
You cannot teach when you have your hands tied. You cannot teach children when you must teach to a test. You cannot teach when you have to constantly answer to three tiers of bureaucracy.
Think about it-- America produced its greatest innovation in a time when there was no national public school system and no mandatory attendance. A time when teachers were hired, fed, and housed by the parents who wanted their children taught. A time when people understood education to be a great, great privilege rather than a 13-year universal prison term.
I don't by any means favor the termination of mandatory attendance or of universal public school. It's just a thought.
Another thought is that I will not accept any extension of the school year or school day. My second-grader gets on the bus at 6:30 am and gets off again at 3:30 in the afternoon. She has half an hour to unwind, she does her homework, she eats dinner, she has about 45 minutes to spend with her parents and siblings, and then she bathes and goes to bed.
An extra half-hour in the school day would mean that we would have effectively no time to play games, talk with each other, work on projects together, or attempt to expand her eduation beyond the classroom to things like critical thinking or alternate points of view (which are certainly not taught).
Fifteen minutes is not enough time for a family to be a family. It does not allow the passing along of knowledge or skills or the building of understanding or of strong bonds. Barack Obama may view the school system as a "family of last resort." I do not. For some families it may indeed be necessary. For mine it is not.
One more half-hour in the school day, and my children will all be home-schooled. Even if I have to join a religion with which I do not agree to provide them with a community to be homeschooled within.
http://www.education.com/question/children-spend-time-school-school/
Thanks for sharing!
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