Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/81698
Election 2012: Where the Presidential Candidates stand President Obama Vice President Joe Biden Education Funding The Obama Administration has made education funding its highest domestic priority: • FY2013 budget provides the largest percentage increase to education. • The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act saved 400,000 educator jobs and the Education Jobs Fund saved an additional 150,000 jobs. • The Administration strongly supports the American Jobs Act, which contains $30 billion in funding for states to hire and rehire educators. (Source: WhiteHouse.gov) Vouchers President Obama opposes school vouchers. In 2011, when Congress was pushing to extend the controversial D.C. school voucher program, the pres- ident stated that "private school vouchers are not an effective way to improve student achievement." President Obama also believes that vouch- ers are not a long-term answer to the educational challenges that face pub- lic schools. (Sources: Statement of Administration Policy, H.R. 471, OMB 3/29/11; Education Week6/19/12) Early Childhood Education President Obama "supports a seamless and comprehensive set of services and support for children, from birth through age 5...he will urge states to impose high standards across all publicly funded early learning settings, develop new programs to improve opportunities and outcomes, engage parents in their child's early learning and development, and improve the early education workforce." (Source: WhiteHouse.gov) Higher Education President Obama has consistently promoted affordable access to higher education for all students. He has: • Signed into law $36 billion over 10 years to increase the maximum Pell Grant award and $2 billion for community colleges. • Led the charge to stop the student loan interest rate hike. • Signed an executive order protecting men and women who have served or are currently in the military from unscrupulous "diploma mills." (Source: WhiteHouse.gov) NEA members overwhelmingly endorsed the re-election of President Obama during last year's Representative Assembly in Chicago - the first union to do so. www.dsea.org Former Gov. Mitt Romney (MA) Congressman Paul Ryan (WI) Education Funding As Governor of Massachusetts, Romney slashed $2.3 million from special education, and $25 million from school readiness grants, early literacy pro- grams and school meals for low-income students. As a candidate for President, Romney has pledged his support for Rep. Paul Ryan's budget, which would cut funding for education and other pri- orities, such as cutting Title I by $2.7 billion and slashing Head Start access for 100,000 kids. (Sources: Gloucester Daily Times, 11/30/06; MA Budget and Policy Center, 3/5/03; The Note, ABC, 3/20/12, Education Week Blog, 3/22/12) Vouchers As a 1994 Senate candidate, Romney pledged to vote for a means-tested school voucher program. As a candidate for President, Romney said states should "make sure [they] have school choice." He would take tax dollars from public schools to fund private for-profit schools at taxpayers' expense. Romney's education plan calls for turning Title I and IDEA funding into vouchers leaving low-income students and students with disabilities to beg for necessary services. (Sources: Boston Globe review of 1994 campaign issues, Glassbooth.org 3/3/02; Florida Republican Debate, 9/22/11; Mitt Romney Education Plan, 5/23/12) Early Childhood Education As Governor of Massachusetts, Romney cut early education and pre-K funding, vetoed $10 million for kindergarten expansion, questioned the benefits of early education, and suggested Head Start was a failure. Romney's education plan ignores early education. (Source: MA Budget and Policy Center, 3/5/03; Mitt Romney Education Plan, 5/23/12) Higher Education Romney has continually supported policies to cut funding to higher educa- tion and would support increasing the number of for-profit higher educa- tion institutions. As Governor of Massachusetts, he proposed raising tuition by 15% and reduced higher education funding. As a result, student fees were increased by 63% to offset budget cuts. Romney's higher education plan calls for cuts in federal funding because he says it 'helped fuel the problem,' and will roll back student protection regulations in the for-profit and student loan industries that curb fraud and abuse. (Sources: Boston Globe, 3/3/03; Boston Globe, 6/29/07; Ames Tribune, 12/29/11; Mitt Romney Education Plan, 5/23/12) September 2012 DSEA ACTION! 9