Education: John McCain

The question: What would you do to help prepare students in Iowa and around the country compete in the global economy? 

The answer: I think I would implement the No Child Left Behind Act more effectively so that we can have better performance out of K-12. I think it was a good beginning. Many people say they just wanna scrap it. Well those that want to do that I say, well do you want us back to where we were before we passed that law? But it needs to fixed and I think we can fix it. I think we need more student loan programs. We need to reduce the interest rate as we recently did. I think also we have to think about incentivising math, science and engineering students because that is the need for the future economy of our country and we have a real shortage of them. 

John McCain would like to make education affordable and available to every single American. He's not saying that people have to receive that education, but at least it would be available and affordable & we are a ways from that. He would start with telling math, science and engineering students that he is going to do everything he can to make sure they receive an education in those specialties and then broaden it out into every other. 

I like that John McCain wants to fix the No Child Left Behind Act because I agree with the notion of educating children before it is too late for them to advance in school grades. I do not like that he pinpoints math, science and engineering because those students already need a huge incentive to learn the complicated formulas and equations involved. First, Bush already cut funding from education and that kicked art & physical education right out the door. Second, I am not intersted in math or science or engineering. Third, where will children have their outlet? I will never be convinced that a sequence of numbers is a creative outlet. Lastly, I am sad that John McCain did not mention the arts or any other form of creativity (dance, music, film, pottery, sculpting, theatre, silk dying, painting, sketching, band, orchestra, athletics) in his top priorities pertaining to education in America. 

www.bigthink.com The Des Moines Register 1:30