* This is a repost of a diary I did yesterday.
This week we have learned that the GOP's latest plank is the opposition to people helping themselves and others. So I am sure John McCain is above noticing what goes on in such low class places like community colleges. But me, I am a student at what has to be one of the most outstanding community colleges in the country. Next fall I will be leaving my CC to head to a 4-year-college and I will genuinely miss being there.
Our semester started two weeks ago, and it has become very clear that the current state of the economy is driving more and more people back to school. The first indicator for me was the parking lot. My CC has free parking, and finding space has become nearly impossible. It was difficult last year, but nothing like this.
Today I drove in circles for thirty minutes before finally finding a parking spaced. Even the overflow lots a mile away from the campus were full! I'm in my second year at my college and I have never seen anything like this. The funny things is, the college was supposed to build a parking garage this summer but Jim Gibbons cut the funding. But parking is only part of it.
Last week I needed to change a class. I was stunned to discover that nearly every class was full. At this same time last year almost every class had a few open seats. It took me three days to finally catch a spot in the class I needed.
I can also see how much enrollment is up when I walk down the hall. There are students packed into those halls wall-to-wall. It's really madness between classes. "But," as Lavare Burton was fond of saying in my youth, "you don't have to take my word for it."
Community college admissions are up all across the country. Community College of Baltimore County had a 20% spike in admissions just over the summer. Quinsigamond Community College in Worcester, MA had a 10% increase in admissions between fall 2006 and fall 2007. So far they have already admitted over 5,000 new students this semester. Schenectady County Community College in Schenectady, NY has had record breaking enrollment numbers for this semester.
These are just a few examples I have found of community college enrollment spiking as the economy dips.
So how does John McCain, who went to the Naval Academy on the tax payers dime and finished 894/899, feel about improving access to higher education for everyone? Well, I guess the best way to figure that out is to look at his record.
Unrestricted block grants--let states decide spending. (Feb 2000)
Voted NO on $52M for "21st century community learning centers". (Oct 2005)
Voted NO on $5B for grants to local educational agencies. (Oct 2005)
Voted NO on shifting $11B from corporate tax loopholes to education. (Mar 2005)
Voted NO on funding smaller classes instead of private tutors. (May 2001)
Voted NO on funding student testing instead of private tutors. (May 2001)
Voted NO on spending $448B of tax cut on education & debt reduction. (Apr 2001)
Voted YES on declaring memorial prayers and religious symbols OK at schools. (May 1999)
Voted YES on allowing more flexibility in federal school rules. (Mar 1999)
Voted YES on education savings accounts. (Jun 1998)
Voted YES on school vouchers in DC. (Sep 1997)
Voted YES on $75M for abstinence education. (Jul 1996)
Voted YES on requiring schools to allow voluntary prayer. (Jul 1994)
Voted NO on national education standards. (Feb 1994)
Focus educational resources to help those with greatest need. (Jul 2001)
Require state standards, regular assessments, and sanctions. (Jul 2001)
Support Ed-Flex: more flexibility if more accountable. (Jul 2001)
Rated 45% by the NEA, indicating a mixed record on public education. (Dec 2003)
* Emphasis mine
And what about Barack Obama?
First Senate bill: increase Pell Grant from $4,050 to $5,100. (Aug 2007)
Sponsored legislations that recruit and reward good teachers. (Sep 2004)
Voted YES on $52M for "21st century community learning centers". (Oct 2005)
Voted YES on $5B for grants to local educational agencies. (Oct 2005)
Voted YES on shifting $11B from corporate tax loopholes to education. (Mar 2005)
Not only has Barack Obama supported legislation to improve access to higher education, but his first bill as a US Senator was to increase the Pell Grant. Now, I have no clue what McCain's first bill was, so maybe he increased the Pell Grant, too. If anyone can find that information I would love to know what it was.
In any case, It's clear that people more than ever are feeling the need for higher education. It would be nice if people could make a living wage no matter what their education level, but that isn't our reality. Whether it is an 18-year-old high school grad following a dream, or a 32-year-old girl looking to improve her life, education assistance needs to be a top priority. Only one candidate has shown they are ready and willing to do that.