Education for the Future

(Krista Hawkey, Special Education; Danny Greene, Early Childhood Education; Joe Ciani, Middle Childhood Education)

With the Presidential election only mere days away, many students wonder what their future might hold and whether their field of choice will still be out there. For those planning on becoming a teacher, their main concern is what each candidate plans are for the educational system for the United States.

The campaign of John McCain and Sarah Palin has set up a list of things they hope to have accomplished during their term if they are elected into the White House. One of McCain’s main focus’ is taking funds from Title II, under the Educational Act, wants to take funding and provide teachers willing to transfer to a more challenging school distract with a bonus.

Krista Hawkey, 21, fourth-year special education major, says that the bonus’ are needed. “I think it’s a good plan since there are a lot of schools in our area that need the help and support,” she said. “I know that Cincinnati Public is one of the districts desperate for help.”

The Barack Obama and Joe Biden ticket have devised a plan that will help those students who plan on attending college for teachers. The pair will create the Teacher Service scholarships that will cover four years worth of undergraduate education. With the scholarship the students who receive it must complete four years in a high-need location or field.

Danny Greene, 22, fourth-year early childhood education major, says he sort of agrees with Obama’s plan. “I like that Obama is giving the scholarship to those people who want to go school for teachers,” he said. “But I don’t like the fact that he is making people go to certain schools.

For Sarah Palin, special education has been an issue that has hit close to home. On Oct. 24, Palin announced that she would give $45 billion, over the next five years, to fully fund the Disabilities Education Act. She also listed off a three part agenda that will help clearly define the course she wants to take with special education. Palin wants to put the power back into the parents hands by giving them more choices, she wants to have IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) and refocus and reform the education system itself.

Joe Ciani, 22, fourth-year middle childhood education major, has his doubts about the McCain/Palin plan. “That’s a good thing because a child with special-needs needs the funding,” he said. “But McCain has already vetoed one of the bills for special education. So who knows who to believe?”

Through Ciani believes that McCain/Palin can’t follow through with their promise, Obama/Biden have little mention of special education in their education plan. “I definitely don’t feel good about Obama having nothing to do with special education,” Hawkey. “Because something needs to be done with special education right now. I am happy that Sarah Palin is attempting to put that into effect if she elected.”

Barack Obama has called for a change of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act. He plans, if elected, to move away from the standardized testing that has been used for NCLB because he believes that teachers “should not be forced to spend the academic year preparing students to fill in bubbles.” Obama wants the teacher to be able to follow a child’s progress more clearly by working with the child individually, instead of through a group.

"In reality it is hard for there literally to be no child left behind,” Ciani said “I know that if Obama gets elected NCLB is going to be revamped. One test isn’t going to give a good sample of the testing. We’ve all messed up one time or another on a test because we weren’t feeling good, weren’t in the mood for a test or just couldn’t focus. So I don’t think that the standardized testing is really helping any of the students.”

In only a few days the citizens of the United States will decide the next president. Only time will tell if either campaign will be able to follow up on their educational plans.

“Of course education is important,” Greene said. “Because we are teaching our children to be the future leaders of this country.”

For more information on the McCain/Palin education plan visit: http://tinyurl.com/2q9uaz. For Obama/Biden visit: http://tinyurl.com/ywbgqc.

Key Points of John McCain/Sarah Palin's Education Plan

1. Centers for Excellence in Head Start: Develop a head start program that is government funded that will help get children on the right path heading into Kindergarten. The hope is that schools will create a curriculum that will go hand and hand with the new program.
   
2. Provide Health Care for Children in Low-Income Families: Government funding will help insure that children in low-income families can receive the proper health care, with consent of the parent. The hope is that children will receive the health care through local clinics and college hospitals so that they will be as healthy as possible.
3. Reestablish Title II Funding: 60 percent of funding will go towards bonus' for teachers willing to relocate to a more challenging educational setting. 35 percent will go to principals and teachers so they can focus funding towards specific school needs. The final 5 percent will go towards recruiting the top 25 percent of the graduating classes.
   
4. Special Education Funding: Over the course of five years a total of $45 billion will go towards ensuring that the Disabilities Education Act is fully funded. A three part agenda will be set up as follows: More choices for parents when choosing schools, full funding for IDEA and efforts to reform and refocus the special education program.

Key Points of Barack Obama/Joe Biden's Education Plan

1. Reforming No Child Left Behind: The focus will be taken off of passing standardized testing through filling in the bubbles and switched to a more student focused, individual, agenda that will make sure the student is prepared for college.
   
2. Reducing Dropout Rate: To reduce dropout rates they will help ensure that schools can set up a personal education plan for students wanting to dropout. The plan will focus on what the student wants to do, so that they stay.
   
3. Tax Credits for College: Offer a $4,000 tax credit to college students willing to work 100 hours of community service.
   
4. Working for Teachers: Obama/Biden will set up a plan to recruit, prepare, retain and reward teachers for simply doing their jobs. They will develop scholarships for those going into education field that will require work in return and they will also create a voluntary assessment program to help ensure that teachers are prepared for the classroom. They will also encourage more experienced teachers pairing with new recruits to share knowledge. An reward those veterans mentoring new teachers with a salary increase or bonus.