October 31, 2007
Democrats Plug Education Plans in Last Night's Debate
The Democratic candidates for president got a chance to quickly plug their key plans for improving education, a topic that has received limited attention in many of the presidential debates so far, at Drexel University last night.
During the nationally televised debate, Brian Williams, the moderator and anchor of NBC News, asked the Democrats to respond to a study that showed that students in other countries spend an average of 193 days per year in the classroom compared with the 180 days the average U.S. student spends in school. Over 12 years, Mr. Williams said, that adds up to a significant gap in education between U.S. students and their counterparts overseas.
He asked the candidates if they would support extending the school year in the United States.
In response, the Democrats highlighted their various education priorities, including proposals for higher education.
Among the postsecondary plans that the candidates pitched, Dennis J. Kucinich, a U.S. representative from Ohio, said he would use federal funds to pay for at least two years of college for all Americans.
Christopher J. Dodd, a senator from Connecticut, also promoted his idea to provide two years of college at no cost.
Bill Richardson, the governor of New Mexico, argued for the creation of math and science academies. And John Edwards, a former senator from North Carolina, advocated his plans for a national teaching university and for providing college aid to students who agree to work while they study.
Meanwhile, Barack Obama, a senator from Illinois, focused on federal research. He argued for increasing money for grant programs as a way to improve the nation’s global competitiveness.
A full transcript of the debate can be found here.
Sara Hebel | Posted on Wednesday October 31, 2007 | PermalinkComments
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In other words:
• John Edwards isn’t aware of all the criticism of education schools (he’s promoting a new one without recommending changes) and hasn’t heard of work-study programs.
• Kucinich and Dodd would use “federal funds” (a euphemism for tax revenues) to guarantee two years of college. Which solid federal program would those funds come from? Social security? Medicare?
• Richardson wants to further geekify science students by isolating them from artists and humanists.
• Obama merely wants the rich to get richer.
• And, according to this blog post, Clinton wasn’t at the debate.
Anyone who watched Clinton’s performance under fire last night could easily believe that she wishes she had been somewhere else.
— S. Britchky Oct 31, 04:55 PM #