My Views on the Educational Plans of Barack Obama and John McCain

Now that the candidates from both the Democratic and Republican parties have officially accepted their nominations and made their speeches, it is time for Americans to examine the issues more thoroughly before choosing a president. Social issues are one factor many Americans, including myself, will consider when deciding whether Barack Obama or John McCain is the right candidate for the job.

Among social issues, education is the most important to me. As a mother, I want my children to receive the best opportunities available when it comes to learning. However, were I not a mother, education would still be the most important issue to me. Why? It is the children of today who will be running the world tomorrow. If they are not properly educated, how are they going to do that?

Barack Obama made statements in his acceptance speech that he would hold teachers more accountable. While most teachers work very hard, I agree that there needs to be more accountability. When a country has 15-year-old students that do worse on average in science and math than students of the same age in 30 other countries, that is a big problem. Of course, not all the blame of poor education can go to the teachers, but surely some may.

Another problem with the poor performance of students could lie in the way the education system is designed. The NCLB, while brought about with the right intentions, was probably not the right solution, when examining the scores of students, like those mentioned above.

At BarackObama.com/issues/education, anyone can clearly read that Barack Obama has plans to reform NCLB, hold teachers accountable and increase the salaries of those who take that accountability, as well as bring math and science education to the forefront. For me, those factors alone speak volumes and that isn't even a fraction of Barack's education plan.