Campaign '08

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Follow Education Week's print and online-only coverage of the 2008 presidential campaign to learn more about where the major candidates stand on education. Also read the edweek.org blog, Campaign K-12, for more analysis of the candidates' views.

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Campaign K-12 Blog: Your education road map to the 2008 state and national elections
The Candidates on Education

Months after conservative commentators began hammering Sen. Barack Obama over his connections to William C. Ayers, Sen. John McCain is clearly making the controversy a part of his campaign strategy. October 10, 2008

Founders of the project chaired by Barack Obama say it has been distorted in the presidential campaign. Updated: October 10, 2008

The Annenberg Challenge sought to address time, size, and isolation in schools. Updated: October 10, 2008

McCain and Obama both want to boost teacher training in the subjects, but budget realities may intervene. October 7, 2008

The vice-presidential candidates insert education into their debate, third-party candidates outline their education proposals, and a major campaign comes to a close. October 7, 2008

Education issues are poised to break through the din of presidential politics and economic anxiety in more than a dozen states next month, as voters confront ballot questions and constitutional amendments involving K-12 policy and school finance. October 6, 2008

Sen. Barack Obama pledged last week to spend $2 billion to help eliminate the international “education gap” by 2015, if he is elected president. September 30, 2008

The No Child Left Behind Act has been the subject of intense debate in school board meetings, state legislatures, and Washington policy circles. Everywhere, it seems, but the presidential campaign. September 26, 2008

Sen. John McCain has an idea for Head Start that is sure to generate broad support in Congress—because lawmakers have already passed it. September 23, 2008

Despite heightened interest in presidential politics this election year, “down ballot” races such as the state chiefs’ contests in Indiana, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, and Washington still won’t get much attention. September 23, 2008

Sen. Barack Obama wants to start a new program supporting an innovative-schools fund—but the campaign’s summary of the proposal omits the requirement linking teacher pay with students’ academic growth. September 22, 2008

How much money one state spends on special education is an unlikely focus of controversy in a presidential race. But when a previously little-known governor makes a splash as the mother of a special-needs child after getting her party’s vice presidential nod, that seemingly parochial topic can suddenly make news. September 16, 2008

John McCain and Barack Obama disagree on just how much of a role the federal government should have in encouraging citizens—including young people—to get involved in community service. September 15, 2008

An Education Week analysis of the campaign ads of Sen. John McCain. September 15, 2008

An Education Week analysis of the campaign ads of Sen. Barack Obama. September 15, 2008

The campaigns of Sen. John McCain and Sen. Barack Obama have engaged in a sharp and testy exchange on education, making the topic the center of debate for the first time since the long race for the presidency began. September 15, 2008

Although Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has espoused conservative positions on teaching creationism and abstinence-only sex education, the Republican vice presidential nominee has not pushed those beliefs into state policy. September 9, 2008

Two of Barack Obama’s education advisers are taking a page from the community-organizing playbook to tout the Democratic presidential nominee’s 10-point education platform. September 8, 2008

Notes on NEA members at the Republican National Convention, Newt Gingrich and Al Sharpton's shared education agenda, and the the push for English to be the "official language" of the United States. September 8, 2008

John McCain is offering positions on educational accountability and school choice that most of his fellow Republicans are likely to support. But those ideas don’t address the sharp divisions within his party over NCLB. September 5, 2008

Notes on Sens. Joe Biden and Barack Obama's education policy, the future of the ED in '08 campaign, and the future of No Child Left Behind according to House Education and Labor Committee Chair Rep. George Miller. September 2, 2008

In tapping Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate, John McCain has selected an official who has supported increased funding for schools across her rural, frontier state and voiced support for school-choice programs that appeal to many conservatives. August 29, 2008

It remains far from clear whether Sen. McCain—and other top Republicans—will continue to embrace No Child Left Behind Act or whether the GOP will return to its role as a champion of limited government and local control of schools. August 29, 2008

Accepting the historic Democratic presidential nomination, Barack Obama sets an ambitious goal that members of his party don't necessarily agree on how to reach. Updated: September 9, 2008

Democrats are almost certain to leave their convention in Denver united behind Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois as their nominee for president. But it less likely that they’ll settle an intraparty disagreement over how much the public should expect from schools. August 22, 2008

The host city and state for the Democratic National Convention has made a range of contributions to U.S. education. August 22, 2008

The annual Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup survey suggests Americans have more faith in the presumptive Democratic nominee for president than in Sen. John McCain on education issues. August 20, 2008

As their education plans begin to crystallize, sharper differences are emerging between John McCain and Barack Obama. July 25, 2008

Obama is proposing $18 billion in new federal education money, while McCain sees NCLB funding as adequate, and weighs a domestic spending freeze. July 15, 2008

Obama is proposing $18 billion in new federal education money, while McCain sees NCLB funding as adequate, and weighs a domestic spending freeze. July 8, 2008

The presumed November matchup produced by the long presidential-primary season that ended last week offers contrasting approaches to K-12 policy, along with some common ground on the basics of the No Child Left Behind Act. June 9, 2008

Indiana high schoolers pitch in to campaign for Sen. Barack Obama in preparation for the state's primary elections on May 6. April 25, 2008

William C. Ayers is widely known and respected in education as a professor, commentator, and advocate for progressive teaching and social justice. April 25, 2008

For a $600-a-week stipend plus parking and meals, 14 retired teachers and other school employees are doing nuts-and-bolts campaign work for Hillary Rodham Clinton. April 14, 2008

April 11, 2008, AP

Education won’t be any more prominent in the general-election campaign than it has been during the presidential primaries, said two of the three panelists at a symposium last week. March 11, 2008

Throughout the presidential campaign, the leading Democrats have been speaking from a similar script on education—until this month. February 22, 2008

The likely Republican nominee has said little on the campaign trail about education. February 15, 2008

The National Education Association is ready to spend $40 million this election year. But it isn’t ready to endorse a candidate for president. January 28, 2008

The presidential campaign season provides a prime opportunity to explain to students the importance of elections and the discourse they trigger. January 22, 2008

No area is more in need of reconceptualization than education, James P. Comer writes. January 15, 2008

U.S. students spend too little time and effort on academics in high school, compared with harder-working young people in China and India, according to a new documentary. Updated: March 5, 2008

Candidates from both parties seem to be sharpening their focus on what might fix the ills of American public education. December 18, 2007

Despite ideological differences, three gubernatorial veterans in the 2008 presidential race share some experiences in dealing with education. December 17, 2007

Republican presidential contenders Mike Huckabee and Mitt Romney squared off on college tuition for undocumented immigrant students during last week’s CNN/YouTube debate. December 4, 2007

Most analysts have seen little evidence that the Ed in '08 campaign is succeeding in giving education a high profile in the presidential race. December 3, 2007

Democratic presidential contenders gave their opinions on merit pay for teachers at a recent event. November 27, 2007

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The candidates for the 2008 presidential nominations have not been as detailed about education policy as in some recent elections. But that doesn’t mean the stakes aren’t high. November 6, 2007

The candidates discussed teacher pay at a recent debate in Iowa. August 28, 2007

Will their rhetoric yield sound ideas for improving Washington’s role in school reform?, Bruce Fuller asks. August 28, 2007

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