Edwards Announces Bold Education Agenda To Restore The Promise Of America's Schools

[Sapphire Blue]

Edwards Announces Bold Education Agenda To Restore The Promise Of America's Schools
John Edwards 08
Sep 21, 2007 11:31 AM


Plan will radically overhaul No Child Left Behind, expand early education, support teachers and create a "School Success Fund" to help struggling schools


Des Moines, Iowa – Today, Senator John Edwards delivered a major education policy speech at Brody Middle School in Des Moines where he unveiled his plan to radically overhaul the No Child Left Behind Act and ensure that every child in America gets the quality education they deserve. Edwards' plan for Restoring the Promise of American Schools is based on three guiding principles: every child should be prepared to succeed when they show up in the classroom; every classroom should be led by an excellent teacher; and every teacher should work in an outstanding school.

"Education is an issue that's very personal for me," said Edwards. "I grew up in a small, rural town and my parents didn't have a lot of money. But I was lucky to have public school teachers who taught me to believe that somebody from a little town in North Carolina could do just about anything if he worked hard and played by the rules."

"Every child deserves to have the same chances I had," Edwards continued. "But today, millions of young people don't get these opportunities. More than a half-century after Brown v. Board of Education, we still have two school systems, separate and unequal. George Bush's No Child Left Behind law is not working, and Washington is simply not doing its part to invest in early childhood education, teachers, or support for struggling schools."

Edwards' plan for education reform will address the failures of the current system through focusing on the following principles:

Preparing Every Child to Succeed: As president, Edwards will launch a national "Great Promise" partnership to give a quality early childhood education to every four-year-old in the country – starting with poor children in neighborhoods with struggling schools. To reach even younger children, Edwards will create a national "Smart Start" program that will improve child care and invest in child health.

An Excellent Teacher in Every Classroom: Teachers, not tests, are the single most important factor in successful schools. As president, Edwards will increase pay for teachers in successful high-poverty schools by up to $15,000 a year. He will also create a National Teacher University – a West Point for teachers – to recruit 1,000 top college students a year, train them to be excellent teachers, and encourage them to teach where they are needed the most. His plan also will give extra support to teachers in the first years of their careers, reduce classroom sizes, and train more excellent principals.

Making Every School an Outstanding School: No Child Left Behind used cheap standardized tests to measure our children's learning, failed to accurately identify struggling schools, and mandated unproven cookie-cutter solutions for our schools' problems. Edwards will totally overhaul it so it meets its goals of helping all children learn through accurately identifying and improving struggling schools. Based on North Carolina's successful education reforms, Edwards proposed a School Success Fund to allow teams of experienced educators to spend a year at struggling schools helping launch reforms. Edwards will also launch a "Great Schools" initiative to build or expand 1,000 successful schools.

In May, Edwards introduced an initiative to improve access to higher education by making college more affordable for millions of students. Edwards' College Opportunity Agenda includes a national "College for Everyone" initiative, which would pay for public-college tuition, fees, and books for any student who is willing to work hard and stay out of trouble.

For more information on Edwards' plan for Restoring the Promise of America's Schools, please read the fact sheet below. Excerpts from Edwards' education address are also included.

___________________________________________________

Excerpts from Edwards' Education Address:

"Education is an issue that's very personal for me. I grew up in a small, rural town. My family didn't have a lot of money, but my parents worked hard to put food on the table and a roof over our heads. And they told me that if I worked hard in school, I could be anything I wanted to be. In the classroom, I had heroic public school teachers who taught me the same thing. I had teachers who cared about me, who took an interest in my life, and who taught me the skills I needed to succeed. My high-school English teacher, Ms. Burns, made me believe that somebody from a little town in North Carolina, where their father worked in the mill, could do just about anything if he worked hard and played by the rules."

"Every child deserves to have the same chances I had. But today, millions of young people don't get them. In America today, children who live in the right zip code get the best education our country has to offer, while children who live in rural and low-income communities face an uphill battle. In America today, two schools separated by a five-minute drive can be miles apart in the quality of education they offer their students. More than a half-century after Brown vs. Board of Education, we still have two school systems, separate and unequal."

"The 'American Century' was built on the skills and knowledge of American workers, trained by one of the best education systems in the world. If we want this 21st century to be an American century as well, our workforce will need the skills to successfully compete against rising global economic powers like China and India. And today, we are failing to equip them with those skills."

"There are three simple pillars to my plan: First, every child should be prepared to succeed when they show up in the classroom. Second, every classroom should be led by an excellent teacher. And third, every teacher should work in an outstanding school."

"When it comes to reform, a good place to start is by radically overhauling No Child Left Behind. NCLB is a case study in the broken system in Washington, D.C., a system that has looked the other way as its failed policies and incompetent leadership have broken our schools and broken the spirits of our children and their teachers."

___________________________________________________


Restoring the Promise of America's Schools

As the product of public schools in a small rural town and the father of four children who attended public schools, John Edwards understands the importance of education. He believes every child should have the same chance to get a great education – a commitment that is at the core of his plan to build One America where everyone has a chance to succeed. But more than 50 years after Brown v. Board of Education, we still have two school systems that are separate and unequal. No longer legally separated by race, our children are sorted by economics, often with a racial or ethnic dimension. At the same time, our children are preparing for unprecedented global economic competition.

Unfortunately, Washington is letting down our children. George Bush's No Child Left Behind law is not working for schools, teachers and – most importantly – our children, and it needs to be radically overhauled. And Washington is simply not doing its part to invest in early childhood education, teachers, or helping struggling schools. Our students are falling behind in key subjects like math and science, good teachers are leaving the profession, and our graduates aren't as prepared for the global economy as their peers in other countries. Students in poor rural areas and major cities often don't have the same chances as other students, and an achievement gap that falls along economic and racial or ethnic lines undermines the promise of equality.

Today, John Edwards outlined his vision for excellent American schools, based on three principles:

Every child should be prepared to succeed when they show up in the classroom.

Every classroom should be led by an excellent teacher.

Every teacher should work in an outstanding school.

Preparing Every Child to Succeed

Half of the achievement gap between children from poor families and their more fortunate peers exists before they start school. Quality preschools compensate for the learning opportunities some children miss at home, reducing remedial education, welfare, and crime. Its benefits are strongly supported by academic research and the experience of universal pre-K programs in Georgia and Oklahoma. Children from poor families benefit most from high-quality preschool, but less than half of poor children attend pre-school compared to two-thirds of other children. {Denton and Germino-Hausken, 2000; Aspen, 2007; PPI, 2004; RAND, 1998; Barnett, 1996; EPI, 2002; Education Sector, 2007}

John Edwards believes that quality preschool education should be as common as kindergarten. As president, he will lead the way toward universal preschool, starting with the children who need the help most. In addition to maintaining and expanding support for existing programs like Head Start and the child care block grant, Edwards will:


Offer Universal "Great Promise" Preschool to Four-Year-Olds

Edwards will provide resources to states to help them offer universal high-quality preschool programs for four-year-olds. Great Promise programs will:

Teach academic skills: Preschool is much more than babysitting; it is a unique opportunity to teach children the skills they will need in school. Great Promise will help develop children's language abilities and introduce them to early math, reading, and other academic concepts, as well as help develop their social and emotional skills.

Start in needy communities: The federal commitment will begin in low-income neighborhoods where schools are struggling and expand to serve more communities over time.

Be led by excellent teachers: Research shows that the most effective preschool teachers have at least a bachelor's degree. Lead teachers in Great Promise will have four-year college degrees and be paid commensurately.

Involve parents and their families: Research shows that preschool benefits children the most when their parents are involved. Parental involvement will be essential to Great Promise.

Be voluntary and universally affordable: Participation would be fully voluntary for families. Tuition would be charged on a sliding scale based upon family income and waived for children from low-income families.

Create National Smart Start

North Carolina's innovative Smart Start initiative promotes the healthy development of children under the age of five. It helps local partnerships make child care higher quality and more affordable, provides health services and supports families. Participating children show better cognitive and language skills and fewer behavioral problems. Edwards will help other states duplicate Smart Start programs, prioritizing children who are not served by other pre-K programs. Smart Start will:

Offer integrated services for young children: By linking together health care, child care, education, and family support services for children under five, Smart Start addresses all aspects of young children's development and helps them begin school healthy and ready to succeed.

Perform health care outreach: Smart Start makes it easier for young children to get screening for health problems related to hearing, speech, vision, dental, and learning disabilities.

Sponsor home visits to new families: Home visits improve prenatal health and the quality of caregiving after birth. Children receiving nurse visits are cognitively more advanced, have fewer behavioral problems, and are less likely to be abused or neglected. The Smart Start program will fund home visits by registered nurses to 50,000 low-income new parents. {AAP, 2004; RJWF, 2006; NFP, 2006}

An Excellent Teacher in Every Classroom

Nothing is more important in a school than the relationship between a teacher and a child. In a single year, a good teacher can raise student achievement by a full grade level more than a less effective teacher. Yet students with the greatest needs are more likely to have less experienced and effective teachers. Poor urban and rural schools in particular struggle to attract and retain excellent teachers. While pay for CEOs and other highly paid workers skyrocketed in recent years, teachers earn a fraction of the salaries paid to other educated professionals.

John Edwards believes we need to invest more in training and paying our teachers to help every child learn at high levels. As president, he will:


Raise Pay by up to $15,000 More for Teachers in High-Poverty Schools

Two-thirds of states do not offer any incentives of any kind for teachers to work in high-poverty schools, and many veteran teachers choose to teach in other schools. Edwards will fundamentally change teachers' incentives by helping states pay teachers in successful high-poverty schools as much as $15,000 more a year. The $15,000 raise includes:

$5,000 for all teachers in successful high-poverty schools: High-poverty schools with high academic performance, good student behavior, and high parent satisfaction could give up to $5,000 in bonuses to each of their teachers, encouraging a schoolwide culture of success. Bonuses will grow over time to reward continuing success and give teachers an incentive to stay. Successful schools will open their doors to share their experiences with other schools.

$5,000 for teachers with national certification for excellence in high-poverty schools: The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards certifies excellent teachers, but few of these teachers teach in high-need schools. Teachers who have demonstrated high effectiveness in a national process, such as National Board certification, will be eligible for the higher pay.

$5,000 for veteran teachers who serve as mentors in high-poverty schools: Giving veteran teachers the opportunity to mentor new teachers creates opportunities for career advancement for longtime successful teachers, while providing much-needed guidance to new teachers.

To address other recruitment hurdles, Edwards will help states and school districts improve working conditions and increase time for teacher collaboration and planning. He will also address barriers for teachers moving between states by encouraging reciprocal credentials and studying ways to make pension plans compatible. {NCTAF, 1996 and 2002; Sanders and Rivers, 1996; Jordan, Mednro, and Weerasinghe, 1997; Peske and Haycock, 2006; Rural School and Community Trust, 2006 and 2007; NY Times, 8/27/2007}


Create a National Teacher University

While there are some successful education schools, many future teachers graduate without the skills and knowledge they need. In one survey, more than 60 percent of graduates said their education school did not prepare them. Because having great teachers is a national priority, Edwards will create a national teachers' university – a West Point for teachers – to recruit 1,000 top college students a year, train them to be excellent teachers, and encourage them to teach where they are needed most. The school will waive tuition for students who go on to teach in schools and subject areas facing shortages. It will also lead improvements at education schools nationwide by developing and sharing model curriculum and practices and serve as a forum to promote shared certification and licensing requirements across states. {Levine, 2006}


Help Teachers in Their Early Years

A third of all new teachers leave the profession within three years. Students in high-poverty and high-minority schools are twice as likely as other students to be taught by inexperienced teachers. Edwards will help states support teachers during their early years. He will encourage a transition year for rookie teachers with smaller class sizes, reduced teaching loads, and minimal extra duties. Resources will support structured mentoring programs pairing new teachers with successful veterans. Finally, he will support professional development based in actual classroom needs. {Ingersoll, 2003; Ed Trust, 2007; Levine, 2006; NCATF, 2006}


Reduce Class Sizes

Smaller classes help students learn more by allowing them to get more individualized attention from teachers. According to a Tennessee study, young students in small classes are less likely to drop out of school and more likely to graduate on time, complete more advanced math and English courses, and receive honors. Poor and African-American students gain the most from smaller classes. Edwards will dedicate federal resources to reduce class sizes, particularly for young children who are learning below grade levels. {Krueger and Whitmore, 2001, 2002; Smith, Molnar, and Zahorik, 2003; U.S. Department of Education, 2000}


Train More Excellent Principals

Principals can have a large impact on student achievement by setting high expectations and recruiting and supporting teachers, but many districts face principal shortages and the turnover rate for principals in poor urban and rural districts is as high as 20 percent a year. Edwards will help train excellent principals for high-need schools. Programs could be operated by schools of education, school districts, business schools, or other non-profits with a proven track record like New Leaders for New Schools. Establishing programs to train 3,000 principals a year will meet the needs of most of the country's high-need urban and rural schools. {Education Sector, 2007; Aspen Commission, 2007; Leithwood et al. 2004; Education Week, 9/12/2007}


Use Highly Qualified Teachers for Tutoring

No Child Left Behind requires schools that fail to make adequate progress for three years in a row to set aside up to 20 percent of their Title I funds to pay for "supplemental service" tutoring programs, often offered by private companies with unproven capabilities. Edwards will require that tutors be highly qualified teachers.


Making Every School an Outstanding School

Every child in America should have the chance to attend an outstanding public school that has high expectations for every child. Children need to master both basic skills in reading, writing and math and advanced thinking skills like creativity, analytic thinking and using technology. We cannot tolerate the benign neglect of our schools. No Child Left Behind has lost its way by imposing cheap standardized tests, narrowing the curriculum at the expense of science, history, and the arts and mandating unproven cookie-cutter reforms on schools. As a result, it has lost the support of teachers, principals, and parents, whose support is needed for any reform to succeed.

John Edwards believes that we need to overhaul No Child Left Behind to center our schools around children, not tests, and help struggling schools, not punish them. He will:


Overhaul No Child Left Behind

The law must be radically changed to live up to its goal of helping all children learn at high levels, accurately identifying struggling schools, and improving them. Its sole reliance on standardized, primarily multiple choice reading and math tests has led schools to narrow the curriculum. Its methodology for identifying failing school can be arbitrary and unfair. And it imposes mandatory, cookie-cutter reforms on these schools without any evidence they work. Edwards supports:

Better tests:Rather than requiring students to take cheap standardized tests, Edwards believes that we must invest in the development of higher-quality assessments that measure higher-order thinking skills, including open-ended essays, oral examinations, and projects and experiments.

Broader measures of school success: Edwards believes that the law should consider additional measures of academic performance. The law should also allow states to track the growth of students over time, rather than only counting the number of students who clear an arbitrary bar, and give more flexibility to small rural schools.

More flexibility: Edwards will give states more flexibility by distinguishing between schools where many children are failing and those where a particular group is falling behind. He will also let states implement their own reforms in underperforming schools when there is good reason to believe that they will be at least equally effective.

Launch a "Great Schools" Initiative to Build and Expand 1,000 Successful Schools

Across America, there are public schools that are helping children from all backgrounds succeed, including traditional public schools, public charter schools, small schools, and other models. Edwards will help 250 schools a year expand or start new branches. Federal funds will support new buildings, excellent teachers, and other needs. Among the schools he will support are:

Small schools: Small high schools create stronger communities, reducing adolescent anonymity and alienation and encouraging teachers to work together. At 47 new small high schools recently opened in New York City, graduation rates are substantially higher than the citywide average. Communities can establish multiple schools within an existing facility, build new schools, and reopen old facilities. {Aspen Institute, 2001; N.Y. Times, 6/30/2007}

Early college high schools: High schools on college campuses let students earn both a high school diploma and an associate's degree (or two years of transfer credit) in only five years. In North Carolina, Governor Mike Easley's Learn and Earn initiative raises rigor and aspirations, reduces tuition costs, and relieves overcrowded college campuses. {American Institutes for Research and SRI International, 2007; Easley, 2007}

Economically integrated schools: While income diversity is not a substitute for racial diversity, low-income students perform best when in middle-class schools where they are more likely to have experienced teachers and classmates with high aspirations. States can build magnet schools in low-income communities and create incentives for middle-class schools to enroll more low-income children. {Kahlenberg, 2007; Harris, 2006; NY Times, 7/15/05}

Create a School Success Fund to Turn Around Struggling Schools

Improving our worst schools is going to take more than federal mandates of unproven remedies; it will require a serious commitment of resources. A new School Success Fund will:

Let experts design and implement reforms: Based on North Carolina's successful reform, Edwards will ask teams of experienced educators to spend a year at struggling schools helping start reforms. These educators will tailor comprehensive solutions to each school, rather than adopting silver bullets or one-size-fits-all solutions.

Provide resources to implement them: Some schools need more resources to help their children succeed. The School Success Fund will target resources to the neediest schools. Resources will be available to recruit new school leadership and a core of excellent teachers, reduce class sizes, duplicate proven models, strengthen the curriculum, and other reforms.

Emphasize extra learning time: Due to our 180-day school year, American children spend much less time in class than their foreign competitors. Many other countries have 25 percent more instructional time, which adds up to more than two years by the end of high school. When combined with making better use of learning time and designed with educators, longer school days and years create new opportunities for children to master the basics and a broader curriculum. {ED in 08, 2007; Zimmerman, 1998; CAP, 2006}

Establish stronger academic and career curricula: The rigor of high school classes is the number-one predictor of college success. Even students who do not go to college need strong math and reading skills in the workplace. Edwards believes that all schools – even those in small, isolated, and high-poverty areas – should have access to challenging Advanced Placement courses. And he will support partnerships between high schools and community colleges to help high school students get the training they need for the good jobs where skilled workers are in short supply today. {US Department of Education, 1997; ACT, 2006; ED in 08, 2007}

More Resources for Poor and Rural Schools

Four out of five urban school districts studied nationally spend more on low-poverty schools than on high-poverty schools. Rural schools enroll 40 percent of American children – including most children in Iowa, New Hampshire, and North Carolina – but receive only 22 percent of federal education funding. Edwards will increase federal Title I funding and dedicate the increases to low-income schools and districts and rewarding states that distribute funding where it is needed most to increase learning. He will also invest in distance education and cutting-edge software to bring the promise of new learning technologies to remote areas. {NASBE, 2003; Rural School and Community Trust, 2007; Digital Promise, 2003}


Meet the Promise of Special Education

More than thirty years ago, Congress committed to fund 40 percent of the excess cost of educating children with disabilities, but it provides less than half that amount. George Bush has proposed a $300 million cut. Edwards opposes the Bush cuts and supports getting on a path toward meeting the federal promise. {Committee for Education Funding, 2007}


Raise Graduation Rates

Almost a third of all students drop out of school before earning a high school diploma, and rates among children of color or from low-income families are higher. At nearly 2,000 high schools nationwide – called "dropout factories" – more than 40 percent of students won't graduate. Edwards will create multiple paths to graduation such as Second Chance schools for former dropouts and smaller alternative schools for at-risk students. He will focus on identifying at-risk students and support the Striving Readers literacy program and one-on-one tutoring to keep them in school. Edwards will also fund additional guidance counselors in high-poverty schools. {Baron, 2005; Alliance for Excellent Education, 2007; Balfranz and Legters, 2004; NCES, 2004}


Support High School Service Programs

The energy and enthusiasm of high school students who want to make their community and their country a better place to live. One type of service program, service-learning, has been shown to have positive impacts on students' civic engagement, college enrollment, career development, and personal relationships. Nearly half of school-age children lack the activities and role models that are opportunities to make a difference through helping others. Edwards will create a Community Corps service programs for high school students. It will provide resources to high schools that choose to make community service a graduation requirement, helping them make service opportunities higher in quality and integrate them into the curriculum. {NYLC, 2006; America's Promise Alliance, undated}

http://johnedwards.com/news/headlines/20070921-education-agenda/

Transformational Change For America And The World - JOHN EDWARDS for PRESIDENT 2008

:woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo:

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A true revolution of values

"I'm proposing we set a national goal of eliminating poverty in the next 30 years." - JOHN EDWARDS 08

"If you call wanting to give everybody a chance 'class warfare,' then so be it. That's what I'm for." - JOHN EDWARDS 08

"Every time another radical Republican running for president speaks, the American people are reminded of how out of touch with economic reality they are." - JOHN EDWARDS 08

Building One America Starts in New Orleans - JOHN EDWARDS 08

Silence is Betrayal - JOHN EDWARDS 08

Moral Leadership - JOHN EDWARDS 08

Ending Poverty in America - edited by Senator John Edwards

[Lucinda]

1. Thanks for the post!

Bookmarking it to read when I am not half asleep!

[framecop]

2. Until he starts talking about college loan debt forgiveness, he is wasting his time

Student loan debt forgiveness. Until he goes there, anything he mentions about education just goes in one of my ears and out the other. He's just banging two cymbals together.

[JNelson6563]

3. As a mom with school aged kids

I'd am compelled to say there is more to education than forgiving college loans.

But hey, if the one detail that applies to you personally is all that matters to you and the rest of us can go to hell, I guess you are entitled to that view.

How very progressive of you. Not.

Julie

[kdmorris]

6. I still have loans, too

But I also have a school age daughter that we are homeschooling due to the complete LACK of education in Florida.

It's pretty selfish to think of only yourself, but hey, whatever floats your boat. I guess I should be all mad because he doesn't mention homeschooling? NOT. I think it's a good plan that addresses a LOT of issues in our current education system.

Welcome to DU. Enjoy your stay.

[1932]

7. Edwards's 2004 COLLEGE education plan was the only one that reduced indebtedness.

Dean, Kerry, and every other Democratic plan I remember was about making more loans available to students, which must have made Wall St happy.

The problem with education today is not that it's too hard to get into debt to pay for it.

Edwards' plan was that students could reduce their indebtedness by up to 25% and possibly more -- they would get one year free if the worked a certain number of hours during their first year (and if they did that, they'd have money that they could choose to use to reduce their indebtedness for the three years that they had to pay for).


Nonetheless, this plan in the OP is about PUBLIC ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY education, and there are no tuition charges, and, therefore, loan forgiveness isn't relevant.

[Sapphire Blue]

9. Edwards' College for Everyone program might interest you...

While debt forgiveness isn't addressed, affordability is...

Expanding Opportunity Through College for Everyone
John Edwards 08

"In America, every child should be able to go as far as his God-given talents and hard work will take him. As the first in my family to go to college, I know that our system of public education should be our sturdiest ladder of opportunity." – John Edwards

College has never been more important. College graduates can expect to earn $1 million more over their lifetimes than high school graduates, and their children are almost twice as likely to attend college themselves. However, an estimated 200,000 college-qualified graduates fail to attend college each year. Students from high-income families are five times more likely to enroll in college than their low-income peers. College-age black and Hispanic Americans are only about half as likely to be enrolled. Students who do go to college now leave with more than $19,000 in debt, twice as much as a decade ago. {College Summit, 2007; Dynarski, 1999; NACAC, 2005; Project on Student Debt, 2007}

Today, John Edwards released his plan to make college more affordable for millions of students. Speaking at Greene Central High School -- where he congratulated high school seniors participating in the "College for Everyone" pilot program -- he proposed a national College for Everyone program to pay for one year of public college for students willing to take a part-time job. He also proposed reforming student loans to eliminate bank subsidies, making applying for financial aid easier, and expanding access to college counselors.


Greene County's College for Everyone Program

In the fall of 2005, John Edwards helped start a College for Everyone pilot program at Greene Central High School in Snow Hill, North Carolina. The program was launched by the Center for Promise and Opportunity Foundation, a North Carolina nonprofit organization. Located in rural, eastern North Carolina, Greene County's income and education attainment are lower than North Carolina averages. Its school system has an above-average percentage of students who are economically disadvantaged.

The College for Everyone program is based on a proposal that Edwards first talked about in his 2004 presidential campaign. It helps pay for the first year of tuition, fees and books for college students who agree to work part-time. Students must also complete coursework that prepares them for further education, stay out of trouble, and enroll in a participating public university or community college. The program works with College Summit and North Carolina's universities and community colleges. Last year the program announced that more than $300,000 in scholarship funding was available, and 72 students just completed their first year of college. More than 125 students from this year's graduating class are expected to college in the fall with the help of College for Everyone. The projected college-going rate for Greene Central seniors has increased from 54 percent before the program started to 74 percent today.


John Edwards' College Opportunity Agenda

Today John Edwards proposed a series of initiatives to help all qualified students pay for college. His College Opportunity Agenda includes:

Creating a National "College for Everyone" Initiative: Edwards will create a national initiative -- based on the Greene County program -- to pay one year of public-college tuition, fees, and books for more than 2 million students. In return, students will be required to work part-time in college, take a college-prep curriculum in high school, and stay out of trouble.

Lower Costs: Research has shown that reducing the price of college can increase college enrollment rates, particularly in the first year of college. Unlike existing student aid programs, which give more money to schools with higher tuition, College for Everyone will encourage states and colleges to keep tuition low. State budget cuts are the number-one driver of higher tuition. {Dynarski, 1999; NCES, 2004}

Clear Eligibility: Many high school students and parents assume they cannot afford college, overestimating tuition and overlooking student aid. College for Everyone's universal eligibility for qualifying students would break through the noise of the current student aid system and send a strong message that all qualified students can afford college. {ACE, 1998}

Strong Preparation: Too many students don't go to college -- or fail once they get there -- because they were not adequately prepared in high school. The number one determinant of success in college is the rigor of high school courses. College for Everyone students will be required to complete a college-prep curriculum in high school. Edwards will also work with school districts to strengthen high school curricula. {Department of Education, 1999}

Overhauling the Student Loan Program: Banks that make student loans receive large federal subsidies and a guarantee against default. However, millions of students have borrowed directly from the U.S. Department of Education, receiving loans that have very similar terms but are far less expensive for taxpayers. Edwards will let all students borrow directly from Education. By eliminating bank subsidies on student loans, he will free up almost $6 billion a year to make college more affordable. {CAP, 2006}

Simplifying Financial Aid: The application for student aid, known as the FAFSA, is needlessly complicated and longer than many tax forms. Many students and families need classes to help fill it out, and 1.5 million high school students do not apply for aid even though they are eligible. Edwards would dramatically simplify the application process by using information the federal government already has, eliminating two-thirds of the questions. {TICAS, 2007}

Giving Students the Tools They Need to Apply for College and Aid: Financial aid alone is not enough. Too many students lack the encouragement and guidance they need to apply to college. In some large cities, a single counselor must serve more than 700 students. Edwards will help every low-income high school eligible for Title I hire a new college counselor, helping students choose college-track courses and navigate the admissions and financial aid process. {McDonough, 2007; Bridge Project, 2003}

http://johnedwards.com/issues/education/college-for-everyone/

[MadHound]

4. How about simply getting rid of NCLB?

That monstrosity is killing public education, and will continue to do so no matter what changes you make to it.

It is nice that he wants to raise teacher's pay in schools that are poor, but frankly he needs to raise all teacher's pay. If he wants to attract quality students and teachers, double the pay. Given that education students have larger debts coming out of college(due to more classes being required), who really wants to start at 27,000/yr with a $40,000 debt? Raise teacher's pay, double it.

[Greyhound]

5. See, NCLB is working perfectly. Give it another two terms and we won't have

any publik ejukashun in America at all.

[beaconess]

14. NCLB is actually a very good law - if it's fully funded and strengthened, it can do much

to improve education for low-income and minority children.

The law itself is not the problem. But it has never been fully funded and some of the provisions need to be adjusted. But the law is desperately needed.

[DavidDvorkin]

8. What a hypocrite!

How dare he?

Yeah, yeah, yeah, sure, John. Think you can pull the wool over our eyes again, do you?

Actually, I'm an Edwards supporter, but I just thought I'd save a few DUers some time and post a summary of their posts for them.

[Sapphire Blue]

10. ;)

Ah, they'll post anyway... seems they can't resist giving a :kick: to an Edwards thread ;) .

[LWolf]

11. I'm not happy with this plan.

I'm disappointed that Edwards, who seems to be at least advocating better positions on most issues than Clobama, didn't do better with this one.

As I mentioned a couple of other places here today:

As an educator, I think my work is of value no matter where I happen to be when I'm doing it. I'd like to be paid what I'm worth regardless of the school or neighborhood.

If you want to attract teachers to struggling schools, try cleaning up the communities. Put those resources into making sure that every neighborhood, in the U.S. is clean, safe, and has adequate affordable housing, employment, health care, transportation, and other vital services. Make sure that every school in the U.S. is clean and safe, and has adequate staffing and resources. Make sure that there are enough schools to keep school populations small, and increase the ratio of adults to students.

If you want to take on NCLB, take on the high-stakes testing as a measure of accountability that it's founded on. Don't tell me that you want "better" tests, or "different" tests. Get rid of the high stakes tests.


Richardson, Biden, and Kucinich, at least, have recognized and publicly spoken about this.

[waiting for hope]

12. You may want to

look at his other issues, raising people out of poverty will directly impact the conditions you imply. It's a much larger issue and I know this first hand, my son is in first grade and we got lucky by winning a lottery to get him into the magnet school in our county. Guess what, it's downtown, not far from the undesirable areas, shit, they even practice a lock down with the same frequency of a fire drill. This school also has the highest test scores in the county and a high level of parent involvement. Edwards plan is a start.

[LWolf]

13. I'm well aware of the larger issues.

I teach people from all different kinds of disadvantaged backgrounds.

Edwards plan for education is not a start. It's cosmetic surgery on the current crisis in public ed. There are other candidates with better plans, and education is one of the key issues at the top of my list.

Plans to address the larger issues of poverty are good; I'm glad he's got them. I fully support all efforts in that direction by any politician and any citizen.