Education and Election Day

Posted by Dana Bennis on Nov 01, 2012 - 10:21 AM

Election Day is just 5 days away. Sadly, education is one of the key issues that has been largely off the radar, at least in the presidential election.

President Obama and Governor Romney have each made (mostly off-hand) comments that I would have loved more attention on: Obama's telling remarks about the dangers of high-stakes testing and how tests could be used as a diagnostic tool in collaboation with other assessment tools; and Romney's critique of national standards and curriculum related to the Common Core Standards.

Imagine Candy Crowley or Jim Lehrer asking the candidates to explain those remarks and engage in dialogue about it.

Yet education IS a major issue - especially in local elections - and here are a few resources where you can find some helpful info about candidates, positions, and issues:
 

 Obama and Romney's campaign pages on education, and those of Stein (Green Party) and Johnson (Libertarian Party)

Washington Post's round-up of statements on education by the two major Presidential candidates

EdWeek's in-depth Campaign 2012 coverage includes some content open only to EdWeek subscribers, but there's a good bunch of open info there too

Issues related to higher education and the elections on the Inside Higher Ed site, including a focus on the DREAM Act, tuition, and pell grants

Education in national and state elections - information and articles compiled by the NEA.  

Most importantly, after voting we need to keep the dialogue going in our communities and with local, state, and federal officials about the need for education that engages young people and contributes to the building of a more just and sustainable society.