Education Policy Differences Between Clark and Dean

Here is the second in my series on the policy differences between Clark and Dean. This time it is on Education Policy. Again, the differences are small compared to the similarities/

All information was gotten from the candidates issue websites at


http://clark04.com/issues/">http://clark04.com/issues/

and

http://www.deanforamerica.com/site/PageServer?pagename=policy_statement_education">http://www.deanforamerica.com/site/PageServer?pagename=policy_statement_education

I do not factor in speeches or random comments by the candidates. Only issues dealt with in the policy sections.

Full Disclosure: I support Dean, but I have attempted to make this as impartial as possible.



Early Education

Clark:

Block Grants to States that create a Voluntary, Universal Preschool for 4 year olds and those 3 year olds that desire it. The plan would require states to have Universal and Affordable Access to pre-schools.

Expanding Head Start by 2 Billion a year


Dean:

$108 billion in a Fund for Early Childhood that would double the number of children in Early Head Start, fully-fund Head-Start, offer child care for another 1.4 million children, offer pre-kindergarten to every 4 year old.



No Child Left Behind Act & Individuals With Disabilities Education Act

Clark:

Fully Fund at the Federal level

Dean:

Fully Fund at the Federal level



School Accountability

Clark:

Re-evaluate Accountability so that curriculum is not test-driven.

Make accountability flexible to account for different school populations

Dean:

Re-evaluate accountability so that standardized tests is not the only measure of accountability.

Make accountability flexible to account for different school populations



Teacher Quality

Clark:

Support initiatives that are designed to recruit the most talented teachers, to let the teaching profession continue to earn the prestige that it deserves.

Provide teachers with additional training and professional advancement


Dean:

Provide National Service Scholarships for Teachers that commit to high-need fields and high-need districts.

Create ASSET Teachers: Teachers who meet the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) standards will be ASSET Teachers and would have national teaching certification.



School Breakfast and Lunch

Clark: N/A

Dean:

Fund School Breakfast and Lunches up for all children from families who make 185% of the poverty rate or less.



School Construction

Clark:

Invest immediately in school construction and renovation.


Dean:

Federal funds will be used to match state and local investments over a three-year period to build new schools and renovate existing schools.


Family Leave Act

Clark: N/A

Dean:

Expand the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) for up to 24 hours a year of teacher conferences.



Higher Education

Clark:

Offer $6,000 per year for the first two years to college students whose families make less that $100,000.

Extend Education IRAs

Block Grants to Public Colleges and Universities to keep tuitions down and train instructors.

Dean:

Eighth Graders are asked to Commit to College.
In return, students will be guaranteed a mix of grants and loans for $10,000 a year for a post-secondary degree, depending on the family’s finances. Loan payments cannot exceed 10% of your income after college (7% for those who go into public service) and if you work and make payments for 10 years, the loans will be paid in full.

I just want to point out that given Dean's re-taxation policy compared to Clark's re-taxation policy, Dean theoretically starts out with a bigger pot of money to spend on social programs (remember the old "tax and spend" mantra?). I do not in any way mean this as a slap against Dean. Almost all Democrats agree that we need to retax the rich and spend more on our social needs. Some think we can't afford to leave in place any of Bush's tax cuts. I am just pointing out that since Clark has decided not to reverse the Bush tax cuts for the upper middle through working classes, while Dean wants to reverse all of the Bush tax cuts, Dean will have more money available to fund programs. At the expense of raising taxes back to pre Bush levels for most Americans. There is a trade off. Simply looking at how much Dean is willing to spend compared to Clark can be misleading for that reason.

*

I think it is a relevent footnote that you should include im many of your comparisons, because it so dramatically molds the options open to each men in all areas. It goes both ways of course. When you coompare the tax policies, on the surface Clark is being more generous to more average Americans than Dean, but Dean isn't being "stingy", he needs more tax revenues to fund his proposed programs and deficite cutting etc.

the 108 billion is an investment over a period of 10 years (that seemed unclear)

And concerning Dean's "higher ed", the program “College Commitment” doesn't actually require an 8th grader to formally swear to attend college- That sounds more restrictive and demanding than what I saw at the web site.

Initially, what they are asked to do is to commit, in eighth grade, "to working hard in high school and to pursuing a higher education.

Through the College Commitment, eighth graders will be asked to commit to prepare for college and to graduate from high school."

In operation, it looks like what the real change will be is that some sort of counseling experience will id and target willing students for assistance.

There should be a similar committment by the govt to students pursuing trades- Dean does have some assistance listed for the nursing profession- and that may actually be included here already, but it isn't articulated.

The quote from the Dean site is this

"To address the needs of children ages 06, the plan sets aside $2 billion over 10 years for Welcome Baby activities that will help parents during their child’s first year, and puts $108 billion in a Fund for Early Childhood which states can use to meet their largest early education needs."

The Welcome Baby Activities are $2 Billion over 10 years. The $108 Billion for the Fund for Early Childhood does not state anything about over 10 years, although I could be missing it.

snip>
The Dean Invest for Success plan will double the current investment in early education so that parents will have the resources to be their child’s first teacher without having to struggle to pay for childcare or preschool. This $110 billion commitment over 10 years for community-based services will ensure all children start school ready to succeed at age six.

http://www.deanforamerica.com/site/PageServer?pagename=policy_statement_education_investforsuccess

This is a good service. A teacher's take on these plans:

Either of the two would be better than GWB.

Clark is a little better than Dean here. He moves ahead under the school accountability section with a commitment to ensuring that curriculum is not test-driven.

Kucinich is better than both. For those interested, compare here:

http://www.kucinich.us/issues/education.php

The fact of the matter is that even if a Democrat wins the presidency, he/she will almost certainly be up against a GOP Congress that will put most of these policy proposals on the chopping block.

What is important about these threads, which I appreciate very much, is the philosophy driving the ideas. Both candidates, in fact all of our candidates, are basically on the same page on this and other issues. First of course, one of these people must win the WH; however, equally important will be passing new domestic legislation given the congressional make-up. While we quible over the diameter of hairs, the opposition is gathering mega-scissors.

As Clinton has said: Our ideas are better.

These candidates all rely on many of the same advisors, so with minor exceptions, we are looking at a positive change, tempered by individual ideas, and headed for the dustbin if we don't get our act together.

to seek out and support a candidate before most Americans have bothered to learn anything spend so much time in emotional name-calling, showing little evidence that we pick our candidates for any better reasons than those who "just feel comfortable" with W.

He wants it repealed, prefers "no school left behind", empowering teachers
Competition between schools - absurd GOP ideology - only businesses can compete. College tuition credit. headstart.
Just what I know.

:)

Thank You.