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Legislative Update: Senator McCain's Education Plan, National Math Panel, and COPAJuly 28, 2008—Senator John McCain, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, has released details from his education plan, "Strengthening America's Schools." The plan focuses on empowering parents and educators at the local level and giving them more control over school choice and funding. "Funding cannot be effectively apportioned in Washington, but it shouldn't be a state-level official or district bureaucrat either," McCain says in his education vision. "The money must be controlled by the leader we hold accountable: the school principal with a single criterion to raise student achievement." The idea of local accountability was first discussed at the AEP Great American Education Forum, where representatives from both parties spoke about their candidate's education platforms. Senator McCain's rep Lisa Graham Keegan said that he wanted the states to provide examples of schools that work and help other schools and districts raise their achievement levels, perhaps even having states compare themselves to international rankings. Even with regards to No Child Left Behind, while McCain is supportive of the principles behind the law, he appears to focus more on the schools and individuals rather than on national averages: "…our goal cannot be group averages. Instead, our focus should be to inspire every child to strive to reach his or her potential." In addition, his plan states, "Choice is the best way to protect children against a failing bureaucracy. But parents must have more control over the money." Senator Obama had previously posted his plan on his website. John McCain's Plan for Strengthening America's Schools Barack
Obama's Plan for Lifetime Success Through Education National Math PanelPublishers and organizations interested in the national debate on math curriculum have an upcoming opportunity to present their views. The U.S. Department of Education, in partnership with the Conference Board of Mathematical Sciences, is hosting a National Math Panel Forum to bring together various organizations and other interested parties to discuss ways to engage their members or constituents in discussions about the National Math Panel's findings and recommendations. The first forum will take place October 6-7 in Washington, DC, and one of the featured topics will be instructional materials. The registration deadline is August 8. For more information visit the AEP Get Involved webpage. | ||||
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The Association of Educational Publishers | ||||
