When voters go to the polls to choose the nation’s next president in November, they’ll be making a choice that has important implications for schooling in the next four years.
We’ve asked a pair of political scientists to analyze the education philosophies of the two major party candidates, and what these will mean for both students and educators—and here’s what they had to say. (Click on the headlines to read the full articles.)
Romney calls for smaller federal role in education [1]
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has offered a program of education policy goals that calls for a smaller federal role in both K-12 and higher education, modifying but not eliminating No Child Left Behind, more school choice, and using the private sector as a provider of support and educational services for students. These policy proposals will not dramatically overhaul the U.S. education system, but they are politically smart and attainable and could lead to small but still important improvements in education…
Education is a public good, not a commodity [2]
This fall you will most likely not hear the differences on education between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney framed in these terms: as a public good versus a commodity. Yet, in the broadest strokes, this is what is at stake in the presidential election of 2012—two very different visions of education, and two very different ways to solve the problems that the American system of education faces. One based on a principle of universality, the other based on market forces…
Tell us what you think
Who do you plan to vote for in November, and why? What are the issues that matter most to you, and what do you think about each candidate’s position on these issues?
Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
See also:
Obama: Ryan’s economic plan costly to schools [3]
Obama renews call for aid to halt teacher layoffs [4]
Expert: Federal school reform plan is wrong [5]
Romney: American kids get ‘third-world’ education [6]
Fact check: Romney off on Obama’s love for unions [7]
Romney tells Philly teachers that class size doesn’t matter [8]