Executive Director's Note

Betty Edwards

Each time I write

one of these columns, I look to the articles for inspiration. And as I read the article by Anthony Jackson and Judith Conk in this issue, I realized that the first paragraph confirmed my thinking about what I needed to say.

"In this election year, we can only hope that the pivotal middle level link in K–12 education receives the focus it deserves. And that focus must extend further than it has in the past, because the world is changing."

For the past two years, NMSA has spent considerable time and effort communicating with others on the needed educational policy at the local, state, and federal levels. We have joined other associations in supporting the proposed Success in the Middle legislation, and we have worked with others on the state and national levels to identify the importance of middle level education in student success and to highlight the importance of reducing the dropout rates in the United States.

Quite honestly, I find the approaching U.S. presidential election invading my thinking lately because these are critical times for education, and it is essential that each one of us enters that voting booth clear of thought and with a defined decision on November 4. So, I beg the understanding of our international members and affiliates as I spend a few words addressing the educational platforms of the two major candidates for the office of President of the United States.

This is not intended to advance one line of thinking over the other, but rather to provide an overview of positions. The following points come from each candidate's educational platform.

Barack Obama

• Reform NCLB by adequately funding the law; improve assessments; revise the accountability system to support schools needing improvement rather than punishing them
• Make math and science national priorities
• Address the dropout crisis by passing legislation to fund school districts to invest in intervention strategies in middle school
• Expand high-quality afterschool (21st Century Learning Centers) and summer learning opportunities (STEP UP)
• Support college outreach programs like GEAR UP, TRIO, and Upward Bound
• Support English Language Learners
• Create new Teacher Service Scholarships to cover four years of undergraduate or two years of graduate teacher education
• Require all schools of education to be accredited; create Teacher Residency Programs to supply well-prepared recruits to high-need schools
• Expand mentoring programs for teachers; provide incentives to give teachers paid common planning time
• Design innovative ways to increase teacher pay; reward teachers who serve as mentors, work in underserved places, or those who consistently excel.

John McCain

• Build on lessons from NCLB with emphasis on standards and accountability; focus on inspiring each child
• Provide effective education leadership by investing in people and rewarding achievement
• Encourage alternative certification methods; devote 5% of Title II funding to states that recruit graduates from the top 25% or participate in alternative certification programs
• Provide bonuses for teachers who locate in underperforming schools and demonstrate strong leadership as measured by student achievement
• Provide funding for teacher professional development
• Provide school principals with greater control over spending
• Give parents school choice and more control over the money with public funding following the child
• Expand the DC Opportunity Scholarship program providing more families with school choice and control of money
• Provide students with access to high-quality tutoring programs that are certified by the district or receive direct federal funding
• Reform the Enhancing Education Through Technology program to build virtual schools; allocate funds to expand online education and pay for student participation costs.

Because space does not allow including the entire transcripts here, I encourage you to go to the candidates' Web sites (www.barackobama.com, www.johnmccain.com) for the more detailed positions. The more information we have, the more informed our decisions.