For Immediate Release
Obama delivers major education policy address
Sep 10, 2008 11:26 AM
Senator Barack Obama unveiled a broad outline of how he would overhaul public education during a campaign stop in the battleground state of Ohio on Sept. 9. Stressing that the United States faces urgent challenges in preparing its students to compete in the global economy, Obama said, “Our country can’t afford four more years of neglect and indifference,” and pledged to invest in early childhood education and address the shortcomings in No Child Left Behind. Obama also criticized the education record of John McCain, who is now leading the race in several national polls. “(John McCain) has not done one thing to truly improve the quality of public education in our country. Not one real proposal or law or initiative. Nothing,” Obama said.
Go here to read Sen. Obama's full speech.
UFT and AFT President Randi Weingarten responded with the following statement:
Sen. Barack Obama hit the nail on the head today by embracing the kind of education reform that shows education is a shared responsibility and that holds everyone accountable to improve teaching and learning. He set a positive tone about how we can improve our schools, respect our teachers and work together to make sure our students get the world-class education they deserve.
Sen. Obama is absolutely right that successful charter schools should be supported and held accountable, and that failing charter schools should be shut down. We also share his belief that regular public schools, where most of our students attend, need the programs and resources to close the achievement gap once and for all. Sen. Obama and the AFT also see eye to eye on supporting differentiated compensation plans that are developed with teachers, not imposed on them. Well-designed pay plans negotiated with teachers treat them as the professionals they are, which in the end helps students.
Together with Sen. Obama, the AFT wholeheartedly supports programs that hold all of us to high standards, including teachers, parents and elected officials. Teachers who need help should get extra support, and those who still don’t improve should be replaced. That’s what the public wants, that’s what teachers — our members — want, and that’s what Sen. Obama supports.
The AFT and its more than 1.4 million members endorsed Barack Obama because the differences between Sen. Obama and John McCain couldn’t be clearer. Sen. Obama understands and supports tested, effective education reforms that will boost student achievement and teacher quality; Sen. McCain, when he bothers to talk about education at all, would rather demonize teachers and repeat calls for private school vouchers that have no track record in raising student achievement.
