Obama & McCain Ed. Advisors at AEP

From: inService
http://ascd.typepad.com/blog/2008/06/obama-mccain-ed.html
Submitted by Naomi Thiers, Associate Editor, Educational Leadership magazine.

"Teachers are the intervention. Programs are not the intervention," Jeanne Century (of the University of Chicago's Center for Elementary Mathematics and Science Education) asserted when asked Obama's view on Reading First and good reading programs. Lisa Graham Keegan (of the Keegan Company) responded to the same question by stressing that rather than "waiting in the weeds" until one program is validated, teachers should follow key principles learned from Reading First—such as direct instruction and a base in phonics.

Century, an education advisor from Obama's campaign, and Keegan, an advisor for McCain, each spoke with passion and at times precision about their candidates' positions on education at the Great American Education Forum held June 6 as part of the Association of Educational Publishers conference in Washington, D.C. Both fielded questions from players in the media and education publishing world.

Sharp differences emerged when Joel Packer of NEA asked for each candidate's view on the balance between federal and state government in education policy. The important thing for McCain, Keegan said, is for states to take the lead in developing their own standards and accountability systems, possibly benchmarking against international standards. "The senator is not in favor of national standards," she asserted.

Century said standards are important to Obama, but "the federal-state balance is about more than standards." The federal government should play a key role in "making sure all parents have the resources to bring their kid to school ready to learn." Obama's plan, she stressed, includes measures to ensure all children have health care, high-quality childcare, and academic help beyond the school day.

To a question about merit pay, Century said Obama opposes tying teachers' pay to student achievement, but would consider rewarding teachers for a range of kinds of excellence, such as skill with specific populations or deep content knowledge. McCain, in contrast, believes teacher rewards should be tied to student performance, Keegan claimed.

Questions on NCLB and assessment also highlighted differences. Keegan said McCain believes we should explore "growth models" for measurement. Century stressed the need to reach beyond "rigid targets. . . . We should be assessing students' 21st century skills. Can students bring knowledge to novel situations? Can they use evidence?"

If schools are truly testing for 21st century skills, Century said, teachers can "teach to the test" in good conscience. What do you think about this statement? What parts of the candidates' education platforms do you agree or disagree with?