Given that Education is consistently rated as one of the top 2-3 issues (Pew May 29th) it is surprising that it hasn't been more visible in the campaign to date.
Yesterday the campaigns squared off at the Great American Education Forum sponsored by the Association of Education Publishers (AEP) in DC. Educational policy experts from the campaigns addressed a wide range of positions from vouchers to the federal role in education.
McCain sent Lisa Graham Keegan a notorious school privatization profiteer and probable felon. In a stunning admission, since McCain recruited her in 2006, she also admitted that they haven't released their education plan yet. The message was either a) the McCain DOE will double down on the Bush NCLB corruption or b) we don't really give frack about education or c) we are incompetent. Answer - d) all the above.
Obama sent an amateur who got eaten alive in the debate and then bailed on the press conference leaving the stage to McCain's team alone. Sigh.
Theres more.
McCain - Doubling Down on Corruption
I'll let Matt Iglesias give you the outline on Keegan:
But before she was an inept and possibly corrupt non-profit executive, she spearheaded the rapid growth of charter schools in Arizona in the 1990s... leading to a situation where "accounts of charter schools gone bad in Arizona became commonplace" including districts selling charters inappropriately, unconstitutional religious instruction, illegal discrimination against disabled people, etc.
Irony Alert: She has prominently and loudly called for merit pay for teachers based on the performance of the students in their classes. In one of the more hilarious moments of the whole charade yesterday she was asked if Supplemental Education Services companies (private tutoring companies profiting from NCLB) should also be paid on student performance rather than seat time. A snip from the Arizona Republic will probably clarify why she got a deer in the headlights look at that point and stumbled through a non-answer.
Before Arizona adopted Keegan priorities such as charter schools and the high-stakes AIMS test, the state ranked below the national average in math, science, reading and writing, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, a division of the U.S. Department of Education. More than a dozen years later, it still does
Since she has personally made millions off of privatization one can see why this should only apply to underpaid teachers not the architects of radical change who have cashed in.
Honestly - what message was the McCain campaign trying to send to the Education Publishers in the audience? The Corruption window is open - come on down!
Obama Stumbles
The Obama team didn't come off looking much better. They sent Jeanne Century, Director of Science Education, University of Chicago. She was earnest and spoke with passion but she was aspirational and skipped the details for an audience that is steeped in them. This is a shame since the Obama team published their education policy last November and she should have been able to wipe the floor with the unprepared McCain team.
During the forum the panelists were asked what the campaign's priorities for reforming the Department of Education were. Given that it is a hotbed of patronage and political shenanigans this is an important topic. Century basically said they hadn't even started thinking about that yet (despite the detailed plan). It came off as a flip answer and undercut the image of preparedness she had been painting.
Compounding matters she declined to attend the press conference following the forum, but remained chatting out in the hallway for most of the time. It wasn't a great message to the press or the organizers of the event and it left the stage at that point soley in the hands of the McCain team.
It was an amateur performance that basically squandered a golden opportunity for Obama. In two weeks McCain will have published his plan and he won't get to draw such a stark comparison between how prepared he is on this issue vs. the lackadaisical attitude McCain seems to have adopted toward our children's future.
Enough Process - On to the Policy
Generally speaking the McCain position is that we already know what works, we just need to let the states sort that out and help them do more of it. Obama wants to take a more pro-active and comprehensive approach to addressing not just K12 but lifelong learning. Both camps support helping teachers be more professional and helping them follow best practices that help kids prepare for the 21st Century.
Approach
From a practical standpoint the Obama campaign appeared to be playing more offense in articulating a detailed education strategy which was released last November. The McCain campaign is still a couple of weeks away from releasing something and indications are that even then it will be more of a philosophical document than a policy blueprint.
To some extent this reflects the latitude afforded within each party to discuss education more than anything else. Democratic positions are fairly clear and well established and there is broad support for public education. The Republican party has a broader range of constituencies to satisfy from the far right pushing for vouchers for private religious schools to centrists who support public education. This makes it easier for Obama to be specific while McCain will have to stay at a slightly higher level of abstraction when discussing education issues.
Ironically in the presentation of ideas from the specific representatives we saw almost exactly the opposite. Ms. Keegan was very detailed and wonkish in many of her answers demonstrating a deep knowledge of the underlying processes and regulations that govern education today. Ms. Century was more aspirational in how she presented the issues, tending to speak more about building for the future rather than digging into arcane specifics. For this audience, with detailed knowledge of the issues and market mechanics, the former approach resonated broadly (despite the fact that it is probably a more pro-Obama group in general).
Philosophy
The McCain approach is about allowing the states to articulate what is working and to provide support for those programs. Rather than put a big stake in the ground for a specific program they will be more reactive. That said, there were references to phonics, direction instruction, and other dog whistle programs favored by the right that were encouraged under NCLB. The McCain camp also sees Union contracts as a major barrier to innovation and returned to this repeatedly (and more pointedly) during the small press conference that followed the main event.
Obama's campaign takes a comprehensive approach to lifelong learning, they are not just focusing on one or two signature issues for K12. He is clear in his support of public education but would like to see a shift away from the narrow focus on reading and math mandated by NCLB to 21st Century Skills like problem solving, collaboration, communication, creativity, and leadership. At the heart of his education policy is support for teachers and making it a respected profession supported with the right resources. They want to reach kids as early as we can. Evidence shows that a dollar spent in in Pre-school can save seven to ten dollars in social services when that child grows up.
Policy Positions
Below I paraphrase the positions articulated during the Forum and the Press Conference.
The Federal Role in Education
McCain - A strong theme throughout Keegan's comments was that the states need to drive change - the Federal role is helping surface what is working and encouraging others to try it. Of course Keegan is also famous for advocating that we eliminate the oversight of elected local school boards. Its confusing.
Obama - The Federal Government has a role in pushing the conversation to supporting lifelong learning starting with programs like universal voluntary pre-school through to college outreach and workforce development.
Is NCLB an Unfunded Mandate?
McCain - Basically this question is too complicated for mere mortals - move along nothing to see here. What we need to focus on is getting more for the money we are spending rather than putting more money in.
Obama - We need to put more money into teacher preparedness in particular, this will have the biggest impact on outcomes. We also must broaden the reach, rigor, and richness of the curriculum. For example in 3/4 of Elementary schools we have dropped 79 minutes of week of science teaching under NCLB to focus on reading and math. This is actually undercutting the rigor and richness of the curriculum.
Improving Reading and Math Outcomes
McCain - We need to tailor approaches to the school - but there is a clear bias for Direct Instruction and Phonics. So basically no departure from how NCLB has been implemented to date and lot of dog whistle references to programs that have not worked.
Obama - Better teacher preparation and more emphasis on formative assessment (real time assessment that helps the teacher adapt instructional strategies quickly).
Vouchers
McCain - He has supported vouchers for a long time, but regards setting this policy as a state level responsibility. He is not opposed to private school funding but not advocating for it either. On the other hand they sent one of the most vocal and prominent advocates of vouchers for private schools to the event - her presence spoke for itself.
Obama - Supports choice, but only in the context of access to a high quality public education. Keegan jabbed in the press conference (where Century wasn't able to respond) that this was a step backwards of 20 years. Hmm - back to before the profiteers got their hooks into the system - imagine that...
Scientifically Based Research (SBR) - NCLB requires that materials be based on SBR.
McCain - All for it. Need to do more of it on unconventional approaches like Charter and Virtual schools. If there are problems with how it has implemented that have student innovation we need to bring academia and industry together.
Obama - SBR is too narrow a focus for R&D. Under SBR a peer reviewed study of 12 students with a control group has more validity than using statewide assessment data to see what works. If we are going to take a comprehensive approach we need many more ways of measuring success and methods that can address the complexity of the education system. This was an example of where team Obama should have hit it out of the park - they clearly have thought a lot about this.
Education Technology
McCain - Technology can help highly qualified teachers reach more students. It isn't about replacing teachers. We also have a disconnect between students who are learning to reach out for answers when they need them and schools that do nothing but push information at students. This is a fair and valid point.
Obama - We need to set a floor for access to broadband and equipment but that is not sufficient. We need to push for the development of 21st Century Skills that truly leverage the global interconnected reality of the web and which will support national competitiveness. In my mind this represents a much deeper understanding of technology and the role it is already playing in reshaping our culture - just what you would expect from the experts in on-line politics.
Dual Language Programs
This question was not about bi-lingual education for immigrants (which has been a hot button issue) but about providing dual language instruction to all students as an enrichment and global citizenship approach. Both camps support bi-lingual instruction for immigrants.
McCain - This is an inspirational goal but they won't push for it. Basically - go Kumbayah yourself.
Obama - Our native english speakers need to become bi-lingual and this effort needs to start in Elementary schools. Strong support for global citizenship.
School Facilities
A student journalist from a DC middle school talked about plaster falling off the walls in their school and asked about what they would do about improving school facilities.
McCain - This is important, but it is a state level responsibility.
Obama - Good facilities are part of the floor we need to set in terms of expectations for all schools. They have a subcommittee looking to address this question but don't have a specific policy yet.
Individuals With Disabilities in Education (IDEA) - Special Education
Both campaigns are strong supporters of the reauthorization of IDEA.
Event Information
The event was co-sponsored by Ed in 08 and Transcontinental Printing. Ed in 08 "is a nonpartisan campaign supported by the Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation and the Bill & Melinda Gates Founcation" and is focused on comprensive solutions to improving education. Transcontinental Press is a global supplier to the book and related publishing industries. They have 60 plants in the US, Canada, and Mexico.
*AEP is a trade association for companies that serve the education market. Its members are a mix of supplemental print and education technology companies along with the companies that provide services to them. Disclosure - I am a member of the association.