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Education

 

Today, more than ever, our schools must prepare students not only to meet the demands of the global economy, but also to take their place as committed and engaged citizens.

Barack Obama has proposed an education plan to strengthen our public schools by reforming and fully funding No Child Left Behind and investing in our nation's teachers. He will also ensure that our children go to school prepared to succeed and then stay in school by expanding early childhood education and afterschool programs. And because the cost of a public 4-year university in Virginia has almost doubled under the Bush administration and increased by 50 percent over that period of time at private universities, Barack Obama will provide tax credits and expand financial aid to make college more affordable.

    

 

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Expand Early Childhood Education:

Obama will enact a comprehensive $10 billion a year “Zero to Five” plan to provide support to young children and their parents. This plan will help states adopt universal pre-k programs and expand the Head Start and Early Head Start programs.

K-12 Education:

Obama will double funding for the main federal support for afterschool programs, the 21st Century Learning Centers program, to serve one million more children. Obama’s “STEP UP” plan addresses the achievement gap by supporting summer learning opportunities for disadvantaged children through partnerships between local schools and community organizations. Obama supports outreach programs like GEAR UP, TRIO and Upward Bound to encourage more young people from low-income families to consider and prepare for college.

Address the Dropout Crisis:

Obama will address the dropout crisis by passing his legislation to provide funding to school districts to invest in intervention strategies in middle school - strategies such as personal academic plans, teaching teams, parent involvement, mentoring, intensive reading and math instruction, and extended learning time.

Reform and Fund No Child Left Behind:

Obama will reform and fund NCLB. He will work with the states to improve the assessment system to ensure that teachers are not forced to spend the academic year preparing students to fill in bubbles on standardized tests. Obama will also improve NCLB’s accountability system so that we are supporting schools that need improvement, rather than punishing them.

Make Math and Science Education a National Priority:

Obama will recruit math and science degree graduates to the teaching profession and will support efforts to help these teachers learn from professionals in the field. He will also work to ensure that all children have access to a strong science curriculum at all grade levels.

Recruit, Prepare, Retain, and Reward America’s Teachers:

Obama believes in supporting teachers at all stages of their careers. He will create Teacher Service Scholarships that cover four years of undergraduate or two years of graduate teaching education. He will create Teaching Residency programs to prepare high-quality teachers to work in high-needs schools. He will expand mentoring programs for experienced teachers to share best practices with new recruits. And Obama will work with teachers to develop innovative ways to increase teacher pay.

Make Higher Education Affordable for All:

Obama’s American Opportunity Tax Credit will provide a fully refundable tax credit that will ensure that the first $4,000 of a college education is completely free for most Americans. Recipients of this credit will be required to conduct 100 hours of public service a year. He will streamline the financial aid process by eliminating the current federal financial aid application and enabling families to apply by checking a box on their tax form.

Simplify the Application Process for Financial Aid:

Obama will streamline the financial aid process by eliminating the current federal financial aid application and enabling families to apply simply by checking a box on their tax form, authorizing their tax information to be used, and eliminating the need for a separate application.

Eliminate Costly Bank Subsidies:

Currently, there are two basic college loan programs: the Direct Loan system, funded publicly, and the Federal Family Education Loan Program, funded privately by banks and lenders who receive subsidies and guarantees from the government. Privately funded loans cost more per loan than the Direct Loan program and provide no greater benefits. Obama will save taxpayer money billions by eliminating the more expensive private loan program, and directing that money into aid for students.