Big differences in candidates' education plans

Here's the biggest difference between the education plans of presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama: $18 billion.

That's how much more Democrat Obama says he'd spend than Republican McCain to transform schools, from quadrupling the number of kids eligible for public preschool programs to strengthening long-neglected science education. Obama claims he can implement his long list of reforms without raising the federal deficit.

McCain's package would add less than $1 billion to the education budget. His message is about doing more with the nearly $70 billion in federal education funding already flowing to California and the other states: giving principals more say over funds while redirecting cash to online schools, home schools and tuition vouchers.

"McCain is really distinctive - his program is minimalist, featuring choice and efficiency," said Mike Kirst, professor emeritus of education at Stanford University and former president of the California Board of Education. "Obama's is more robust, with significant investments focusing on disadvantaged, low-achieving children."

McCain proposes to freeze education spending as part of his plan to suspend and scrutinize all non-military discretionary spending for one year, while Obama has said he would cut costs elsewhere in the federal budget - such as auctioning off surplus federal property and reforming federal contracting procedures - to finance his plan.

The stark differences between the candidates' education plans can best be seen in their vision for the nation's youngest children. While Obama would sink the bulk of his added funding into "a preschool agenda that begins at birth," McCain wants to improve efforts already under way.

"There is no shortage of federal programs targeted at early child care and preschool," says McCain's Web site, which advocates developing the best of what's out there.

Obama to boost Head Start

For example, if a Head Start program succeeds at preparing children for kindergarten, it might be dubbed a "Center for Excellence." It could become eligible for at least $200,000 per year to expand and show other Head Starts how to do business.

Obama's Web site offers more details - and more dollars. Obama would plow $10 billion into programs for children from birth to age 5. Among the proposals are tax credits for child care, more training for Head Start employees, funding for states that adopt universal preschool and quadrupling enrollment in "Early Head Start" for children under 4.

Asked why Obama would steer most of his education package toward children who have yet to set foot in school, campaign spokeswoman Nayyera Haq said that half of poor children start school two years behind their peers and rarely catch up. The idea, she said, is to try and close the gap before it begins.

"It's never too early," Haq said.

No Child Left Behind

Meanwhile, neither candidate discloses specific changes for the centerpiece of federal education policy: No Child Left Behind. The bipartisan act says all students must score "proficient" in English and math by 2014. Schools failing to make "adequate yearly progress" toward that goal risk such penalties as closure or take-over by an outside agency.

Obama seeks substantive changes: defining school success as steady annual improvement (rather than requiring schools to reach a certain proficiency level each year); letting schools go beyond multiple-choice tests to evaluate students; and adding science to the mix of subjects on which schools are judged.

Flaws and benefits

He also joins critics of the federal law who say it is an unfunded mandate. But he doesn't say how much money he'd direct toward helping schools meet the goals.

Obama voted in 2005 to boost its funding by $5 billion; McCain opposed the increase, and the measure died.

Both campaigns praise the law's intent, which is to hold schools accountable for academic success. But while Obama points to its flaws, McCain highlights its benefits.

"No Child Left Behind has revealed enormous information about the performance of schools, down to the individual student," said Doug Holtz-Eakin, McCain's senior policy adviser. The law "has focused our attention on the realities of how students perform against a common standard," the campaign says.

Split on vouchers

McCain also touts private school choice, and would expand a $13 million tuition voucher program in Washington, D.C., by $7 million. That's in keeping with his austere approach: While praising the program and noting that 7,000 families have applied for it, McCain acknowledges that fewer than 1,000 additional families would benefit under his plan.

Obama opposes tuition vouchers as a drain on public resources, says his campaign.

Vouchers have repeatedly failed to win over voters in California and across the nation. And Congress has not approved vouchers, an early cornerstone of President Bush's education plan.

Support for teachers

McCain endorses other forms of choice, such as online tutoring and Internet courses in math and science. He proposes competitive grants and other federal funding to help states develop those approaches.

Both candidates support attracting more qualified teachers with financial perks. McCain would steer 60 percent of federal Title II money (for teacher training and recruitment) toward bonuses for teachers who work in high-need settings or have exceeded performance goals.

Among the teacher initiatives Obama lays out is a $1 billion grant program for experienced teachers who mentor novices.