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By Leo Coco, Washington, D.C.
Members of Congress have spent August in their respective districts focusing on constituent service and campaigning for re-election in November. The dismal approval ratings for Congress (recently around 10 percent) and projected Democratic increases in House and Senate seats have those in contested races eager for more time at home on the campaign trail. Presidential election years traditionally put the brakes on Congressional activity, but 2008 has been even less productive due to the elongated Democratic primary season. The lack of a presumed heir to the oval office has made the race more competitive in both parties.
Congress’ September return after the political conventions will yield modest legislative accomplishments, and leaders have abandoned any hope of completing the remaining appropriations bills to fund federal government agencies prior to an October 1 adjournment. Forget the possibility of a post-election lame duck session; it seems almost certain Congress will punt on passing the funding bills until after the inauguration of a new president. That also means reauthorization of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) is dead for the year as is any further action on repeal of the Government Pension Offset or the Windfall Elimination Provision. (The GPO reduces an individual’s spousal benefits if the individual receives a government pension based on work not covered by Social Security, and the WEP reduces the Social Security benefits of government workers not participating in Social Security who had earned benefits through previous Social Security participation.) On the accomplishment side, legislation will almost certainly be completed to extend current popular tax credits, including credits for teachers for out-of-pocket expenditures for classroom supplies up to a certain amount.
That will leave all of the attention this fall directed to the presidential race. Opinions on key issues and candidate positions become seared in the minds of voters, influenced significantly by pocketbook issues dominating the debate. While just one year ago the dominant issue was the Iraq war, now it is all about the economy, housing foreclosures and gas prices. It is hard to engage in conversations about other issues, like education, where sharp distinctions may exist between the candidates.
McCain’s education plan
In July, John McCain revealed his education plan which supports continuing NCLB standards and accountability and focuses heavily on teacher quality and school choice. In addition to support for alternative certification methods, the plan recommends bonuses for high performing teachers who work in the most challenging schools, for incentives for teaching math and science, and for those who show the greatest student improvement. A core component of the plan stems from the belief that parents of children in failing schools should be able to move them along with associated funding to schools that are succeeding. McCain supports expansion of a D.C. voucher program that puts federal dollars in the hands of some low income families to send their children to private schools. In addition, he advocates shifting a billion dollars of current federal funds to virtual schools and online course offerings and tutoring programs and supports greater control over spending at the local level. (See the McCain's website for more details.)
Obama’s stand on education issues
Barack Obama’s education policies are divided into early childhood, K-12 and college access and affordability. His K-12 plan calls for universal pre-kindergarten and expanded funding for NCLB with a focus on supporting schools that need help rather than punishing them. He also champions expanded funding for education research and development. Obama places teacher recruitment, preparation, retention and reward (including performance pay) as a key commitment to education reform. These programs include scholarships for teacher education, mandating accreditation for all schools of education, expanded mentoring programs for new teachers and incentives for sharing best practices, and new guidelines developed with teacher input for increasing teacher pay. He supports public school choice but opposes public funding for private school vouchers. (More information is available at Obama's website.)
Neither candidate has laid out a detailed plan on NCLB reauthorization, but it will be an issue that Congress as well as a new administration will have to address next year. As we move closer to election day, it will be interesting to see whether education moves up as a top tier issue. Right now, the odds are that the economy, energy independence, and Iraq and Afghanistan will dominate the agenda of the candidates and the interest of the voters.
Leo Coco, TCTA’s Washington, D.C. lobbyist, is a senior policy advisor with the law firm of Nelson, Mullins, with a background that includes extensive experience in the U.S. Department of Education.
Web posted: 08/19/08 from The Classroom Teacher, Fall 2008
