Obama on Education

Senator Obama was in Colorado the other day, getting all wonky with a group of teachers, students, and public education professionals.

For more than 20 minutes, the Illinois Democrat laced the language of uplift and challenge with the acronyms of education and reform: GEAR UP and TRIO, a proposed Service Scholarship program to replace retiring teachers, a Teacher Residency Program to recruit them at mid-career from other professions, and the Career Ladder Initiative to reward teachers who mentor others.

If you'd like to review the text of his prepared remarks, you can find them here.

Okay, so anytime wonks get wonky, a lot of alphabet-soup acronyms get thrown around. Here I've tried to unpack all that with links and brief explanations.

Existing Federal Programs

GEAR UP: Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs. College readiness programs and scholarships to high-poverty middle and high school kids, administered through state grants.

TRIO: "TRIO programs help students overcome class, social and cultural barriers to higher education," as opposed to financial barriers. Students 6th -12th grade who are first-generation to attend college and from low-income families, as well as disabled and veteran students are served.

Thirty-seven percent of TRIO students are Whites, 35% are African-Americans, 19% are Hispanics, 4% are Native Americans, 4% are Asian-Americans, and 1% are listed as "Other," including multiracial students.

Pending Education Legislation Mentioned by Obama

Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act: failed bipartisan bill sponsored by Senators Richard Durbin (D-IL), Charles Hagel (R-NE), and Richard Lugar (R-IN). May be reconsidered in 2009.

those who entered the United States five years prior to the passage of the legislature and were under the age of 16 at the time of entry are eligible for a six year conditional residency status upon completion of an associates degree or two years of military service. If the applicant demonstrates good moral character, at the end of the six year conditional residency, the applicant can apply for United States citizenship.

Citizenship and college at in-state rates for undocumented young people who can show academic ability, character, and/or demonstrate commitment to America through military service? Sounds fair to me.

Success in the Middle Act: sponsored by Obama to specifically address dropout prevention and skills coaching among middle-schoolers slated to attend the 2,000 high schools in the country that account for 50% of all dropouts. Sponsored in the House by Raul M. Grijalva (D-AZ) and intended to fill a gap created by No Child Left Behind legislation.

Professional Development Programs for Teachers Proposed by Obama

Service Scholarship: college loan forgiveness program in exchange for commitment to a career of teaching.

Teacher Residency Program: recruitment of teachers from mid-career in other professions.

Career Ladder Initiative: mentorship program for excellent teachers to pass on their skills to their colleagues. Merit pay in accordance with teachers' unions to define metrics of performance.

Basically, a living wage and increased social and professional status for teachers? Color me thrilled. (Maybe Petraeus could start baking cookies for the new B-1 bombers he's been eyeing, once we're safely out of Iraq.)

These programs represent deep investment in our social infrastructure, including a beefed-up Head Start for preschoolers and Early Head Start for infants-to-3 year olds. The hitch? They are projected to cost $18 billion and would be funded from 5 years of offset NASA programs.

Cynematic blogs at P i l l o w b o o k. She used to teach college students, her favorite age group among young whippersnappers. Even though she herself barely looks a day over **cough** 29.

Comments

[Daisy]

Education gets pushed to the back burner when there's a national crisis or crises. I'm so happy that Obama is still thinking about our country's future and the role of education in changing that future for the better.