Obama announces new ed proposals
Posted: Tuesday, September 09, 2008 12:04 PM by Domenico Montanaro
From NBC/NJ’s Athena Jones
DAYTON, Ohio -- Obama bashed his Republican rival, as he announced new education proposals his campaign estimates will cost $1 billion a year.
Arguing that a strong education policy was essential to America’s ability to compete in a global economy, Obama said McCain had been in Washington for nearly 30 years but had done little to strengthen America's schools.
“In those three decades, he has not done one thing to truly improve the quality of public education in our country. Not one real proposal or law or initiative. Nothing,” he said. “After three decades of indifference on education, do you really believe that John McCain is going to suddenly make a difference now? John McCain doesn’t get it. He doesn’t understand that our success as a nation depends on our success in education and our success in public education. That’s something I do understand.”
The criticism of McCain was in line with his campaign’s latest argument that Republicans just do not understand the kitchen-table concerns of hardworking families, it’s a line he hopes will work well, especially in economically depressed states like Ohio, an important battleground. The education speech here at a high school marked the senator’s eighth trip to the state during the general election.
The McCain campaign points the finger back at Obama, charging that he's the one who hasn't done much on education.
“According to a leading non-partisan education magazine, Barack Obama 'hasn't made a significant mark' on education policy, so rather than tout his own record he's left with no option but to attack John McCain," McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds said in a statement. "The truth is Barack Obama joined John McCain in supporting education reforms in the Senate -- if he thinks that's 'nothing,' then Barack Obama is in the odd position of attacking his own record.”
Obama said partisan bickering had stood in the way of education reform and that his Republican rival had “marched with the ideologues in his party” by opposing efforts to expand Head Start, hire more teachers, make college more affordable, fully funding No Child Left Behind and by proposing to close the Department of Education.
Investing in early childhood education and a $4,000 college tuition tax credit, in exchange for public service, have long been parts of the senator’s education proposals.
Today he proposed programs that would provide $500 million in matching funds for investments in technology, increase access to Advanced Placement courses in high schools and double funding for charter schools.
He also wants to provide parents with a report card to help them keep abreast of their child’s educational development, institute pay-for-performance programs for teachers, in addition to help for struggling teachers. He also pledged to report to the American people yearly on the state of the country’s schools.
The programs would be funded with savings from a “comprehensive effort to cut government spending, including reforming federal contracting, reducing the number of federal earmarks, improving federal procurement processes and ending wasteful unnecessary federal programs,” according to a fact sheet provided by the campaign.
In his speech, Obama spoke about paying for his proposals by winding down the war in Iraq.
In keeping with recent efforts to portray himself and his family as people who can relate to the concerns of ordinary Americans, Obama touched on the importance of education in helping him overcome modest beginnings.
“This is a country that let the child of a teenage mom and an absent father reach for his dreams. You see, I wasn’t born with a lot of advantages. But I was given love, and support and an education that put me on a pathway to success,” he said, adding that education had also helped his wife Michelle. “I know that the only reason Michelle and I are where we are today is because this country we love gave us the chance at an education and the reason I’m running for President is to give every single American that same chance.”
