Education: John McCain

McCain states, "And find bad teachers another line of work." The crowd smiles, claps and applauses. He says he wants choice and competition, furthermore, homeschooling, charter schools, vouchures, all the choice in competition. He wants every American family to have the same choice that he and his wife, Cindy, made and Senator Obama and Mrs. Obama made as well, and that was, "We wanted to send our children to the school of our choice." He continues, "Charter schools work my friends. Homeschooling works. Vouchures in our nation's capital work." Thousands of people in Washington, D.C. are applying for a vouchure system. New York City is reforming. As we know, the hurricane devastated the city of New Orleans, & they now have over 30 charter schools in the city. He believes it is all coming up, but is going to take dedicated men and women, paricularly in the teaching profession to make it happen. He closes with, "It is being proven that choice and competition for every American family is the civil rights issue of the 21st century because every citizens child now has an opportunity to go to school, but what kind of opportunity is it if you send them to a failing school?" I agree that we must give everybody the same opportunity and choice. I like that he brings his family scenario into the equation because many American families can relate. I have heard Obama speak about his family working hard and sacrificing to send him to school, so he wanted to send his children to a similar school. I believe that choice creates competition. Department stores have been at it for years by carrying different lines and displaying windows in contrasting fashion. Whether it be Macy's, Nordstroms, Dillards, Barney's, Neiman Marcus or Sears, likewise, they display similar products. People choose where to shop depending on their interest. In other words, department stores are all big with lots of stuff stacked high inside, but each has its own specialty. Analogously, charter schools offer basic classes but excel in one specialty: art, music, science, computer animation, arithmetics. Giving people the chance to choose creates competition in our daily lives, between department stores, and will with schools. I think with competition in the picture, failing schools will begin to improve and be in the road to cheering fans and superb reviews because I wish to see every child in a school that has the ability to prepare them to be the positive role models in our communities and lives. Likewise, no child should be stripped of that opportunity, from an opportunity that is as vital as wind is for a sail. An opportunity that is education.  

Road to the White House. Presidential candidates' forum, Saddleback Civil Forum on the presidency. Lakeforest, California. Saddleback Church. Campaign 2008, C-SPAN.