Election Fever 2008 (continued)

College Funding and Affordability

Ask college students about the most important education issues of the day, and they'll most likely list rising college costs. But, it's not just a pressing issue for new voters; higher education is increasingly important to a global economy, with 42 percent of all new jobs this decade requiring some post-secondary education. College funding is a hot talking point in the Democratic arena, with Obama going on the record with tax credits for all students. But McCain has remained mum for the most part on the topic. 

Universal Preschool

Should children have the same access to preschool as they do to kindergarten? Many experts say “yes,” because what happens in those early years affects learning later on. What do the candidates say? According to Thibault, supporting universal preschool comes against less political opposition because there is research suggesting that kids who attend preschool are less likely to enroll in special needs programs, or add to the drop-out rate. And, let's face it: nobody's going to run on an anti-preschool platform. “It's politically palatable,” Thibault says. But the specifics of how such a program would be designed and paid for really depend on party lines, with Obama pulling out more detailed plans for early childhood education and McCain focussing on reforming Head Start.

Have a candidate in mind and want to know where he stands on education? Or are you undecided and want to see how they compare? Either way, we've got you covered. We've highlighted both Obama and McCain's viewpoints on the key educational issues. We know parents are focused on making the best decisions for their family, both at the ballot box, and outside of it.

There's no doubt that the economy ranks as the #1 issue for Americans in the upcoming election. But after the economy and gas prices, education comes next-- ahead of the war in Iraq, terrorism, the environment, immigration, and even health care, according to a recent Associated Press poll. Half said the U.S. is falling behind the rest of the world in education and 62% said the quality of schools in the U.S. is worse than it was twenty years ago. Only 10% of Americans rate the quality of education in their local public schools as excellent, according to the poll.

Clearly, something needs to change. So stop assuming you know what the candidates think about the big issues in education, here it is, in print:

John McCain on Education

Barack Obama on Education

What do you think about the Presidential candidates' plans for education? Share your views in our online forum.