Obama's Record

When President Barack Obama took office, his education views were a bit of a question mark. But during his first term he's had a major impact on education policy. In the winter of 2009, he signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which allocated $100 billion for education, and created a number of new competitive grant programs. The most prominent of those — Race to the Top — awards grants to states that embraced certain education redesign priorities, including revamping teacher evaluation, expanding charter schools, and adopting standards that prepare students for college and the workplace. Race to the Top has been credited with encouraging states to join the Common Core State Standards Initiative, which 46 states and the District of Columbia have signed onto.

Mr. Obama has also poured more than $4 billion into turning around the nation's lowest-performing schools, offered grants to help national nonprofit organizations scale up promising practices, and established separate "Race to the Top" competitions for early-childhood education and for school districts. Still, some of Mr. Obama's policies — particularly when it comes to using student test scores as a factor in teacher evaluations — have rankled educators. And last fall, Mr. Obama announced a plan to offer states flexibility from many of the mandates of the No Child Left Behind Act — if they were willing to adopt many of the administration's education redesign goals.

What if Obama Wins?

If Mr. Obama is able to secure a second term, look for him to try to protect education funding in debates over the nation's fiscal future. Expect the administration to grapple with the implementation challenges of the waivers states received from the No Child Left Behind requirements and Race to the Top. And look for him to fight with Congress to keep funding for his competitive grant programs in place.

Obama's Education Team

Romney's Campaign Pledges

When GOP candidate Mitt Romney served as governor of Massachusetts, he tried to push for many of the same policies later embraced by the Obama administration, including offering high-performing teachers extra pay and taking aggressive action to turnaround the lowest-performing schools. But he was unable to sell these ideas to a legislature overwhelmingly dominated by Democrats.

On the campaign trail, Mr. Romney has called for allowing parents to take their child's share of $14.5 billion in federal Title I money, and $11.6 billion in special education money to any public, private, or religious school they choose. And he's called for scaling back the size of the U.S. Department of Education, but not necessarily eliminating it. He also wants to expand the $20 million D.C. Opportunity Scholarship program. And he wants to use transparency as a lever for improving student achievement — requiring states to create report cards that grade schools on an A-F scale and include information on the states' performance on the National Assessment of Educational Progress.

What if Romney Wins?

Critics point to a lot of possible problems in Mr. Romney's education plan — for instance, the federal funding for his proposed vouchers wouldn't be enough to cover a child's education at most schools. States and local districts would likely need to kick in some of their own dollars to make up the difference. But it's clear that Mr. Romney is interested in bolstering school choice — and scaling back the federal role in K-12 policy, if he wins.

Romney's Education Team

  • Has offered states waivers from some mandates of the No Child Left Behind Act, including letting them replace the law's 2013-14 deadline for bringing students to proficiency with their own goals for improving student achievement.

    "When it comes to fixing what's wrong with No Child Left Behind, we've offered every state the same deal. We've said, if you're willing to set higher, more honest standards than the ones that were set by No Child Left Behind, then we're going to give you the flexibility to meet those standards." —Announcing the first 10 states to receive waivers, Feb. 9, 2012

  • In overhauling the current NCLB law, would require states to create report cards that would evaluate schools on an A-F grading scale and include information on the states' performance on the National Assessment of Educational Progress. Would no longer subject them to federal mandates when it comes to identifying and intervening in low-performing schools.

    "States must provide a simple-to-read and widely available public report card that evaluates each school. These report cards will provide accurate and easy-to-understand information about student and school performance." —Speech to the Latino Coalition, May 23, 2012

  • Encouraged states to raise their caps on charter schools in the $4 billion Race to the Top competition, and urged districts to convert low-performing schools to charters. Has supported closing the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship program to new students.

    "One of the places where much of that innovation occurs is in our most effective charter schools. … But right now, there are many caps on how many charter schools are allowed in some states, no matter how well they're preparing our students. That isn't good for our children, our economy, or our country." —Speech to the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, March 2009

  • Would allow parents of low-income and special education students to take their share of federal education funding in those areas to the public, charter, or private school of their choice. Students also could use the funds for tutoring or online course work. Students would still have to take federally mandated tests. Supports expanding
    charter schools.

    "As president, I will give the parents of every low-income and special needs student the chance to choose where their child goes to school. For the first time in history, federal education funds will be linked to a student, so that parents can send their child to any public or charter school, or to a private school, where permitted." —2012 speech to Latino Coalition

  • Got rid of subsidized student college loans offered by private banks, in favor of having all such loans originate with the federal government. Had pushed to tie some federal student aid to college outcomes.

    "When kids do graduate, the most daunting challenge can be the cost of college. At a time when Americans owe more in tuition debt than credit card debt, this Congress needs to stop the interest rates on student loans from doubling in July." —State of the Union address, Jan. 24, 2012

  • Has criticized the Obama administration's student-loan overhaul. Would beef up the role of the private sector in administering student loans and overhaul
    the Pell Grant program.

    "We must stop fueling skyrocketing tuition prices that put higher education out of reach for some and leave others with crushing debt." —2012 speech to Latino Coalition

  • Imposed rules requiring low-performing providers of Head Start preschool services for low-income students to recompete for their grants. Created a $500 million Race to the Top competition to reward states that revamp their early childhood- education programs.

    "Studies show that children in early childhood education programs are more likely to score higher in reading and math, more likely to graduate from high school and attend college, more likely to hold a job, and more likely to earn more in that job." —2009 speech to the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

  • As governor of Massachusetts, vetoed as too costly a bill to create a universal prekindergarten program. Has yet to spell out a detailed early childhood education plan if elected, but adviser Phil Handy has criticized the Head Start program for not putting enough of a focus on
    learning outcomes.

    "To have one parent that stays closely involved with the education of the child and can be at home in those early years of education can be extraordinarily important." —Romney in NBC "Education Nation" interview

  • Steered a sizeable portion of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act money to school turnarounds, and called for perennially struggling schools to take dramatic steps such as getting rid of half the teachers and the principal, unless the principal has been on the job a short time.

    "We've seen progress and gains in schools that were having a terrible time. And they're starting to finally make progress." —President Barack Obama, in the third presidential debate on Oct. 22

  • As governor of Massachusetts, wanted to make it easier for superintendents to remove underperforming teachers and principals. Wanted to let districts convert perennially struggling schools into charters, and to offer grants to help low-performing schools partner with outside experts. The legislature did not act on his proposals.

    "I anticipate that in those troubled districts, we might want to see a review of the principals and the superintendents to make sure we have the right people in charge. And then I would give them the ability to hire and fire.. Probably not the entire faculty." —Romney speaking as governor of Massachusetts, quoted in an Oct. 2003 Boston Globe article

  • Steered some $100 billion to education through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, including nearly $50 billion to help prevent teacher layoffs. Has consistently requested budget increases for the U.S. Department of Education.

    "We can gut education, or we can decide that in the United States of America, no child should have her dreams deferred because of a crowded classroom or a crumbling school." —2012 nomination acceptance speech

  • Has said he would not cut education funding, but hasn't been specific about what that would mean. A budget blueprint crafted by his running mate, U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan, calls for a nearly 20 percent cut to domestic discretionary spending.

    "I'm not going to cut education funding. I don't have any plan to cut education funding and grants that go to people going to college. I'm planning on continuing to grow [education], so I'm not planning on making changes there." —Debate with President Obama, Oct. 3, 2012

  • Has encouraged states to join the Common Core State Standards Initiative, using the Race to the Top competitive grant program and the waiver process as incentives. Has steered $360 million in Race to the Top money to help states develop assessments that align with the standards.

    "For the first time in a generation, nearly every state has answered our call to raise their standards for teaching and learning." —Speech accepting the Democratic nomination for president, Sept. 6, 2012

  • Has said that states should be permitted to "opt-in" to the Common Core State Standards, but would not provide any federal financing for assessments linked to them. As governor of Massachusetts, pushed for the state to be tested as a separate country on the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study, or TIMSS. Supported exit exams for high school students in the Bay State.

    "I don't subscribe to the idea of the federal government trying to push a common core on various states. It's one thing to put it out as a model and let people adopt it as they will, but to financially reward states based upon accepting the federal government's idea of a curriculum, I think, is a mistake." —Appearance on NBC's "Education Nation," Sept. 25, 2012

  • Through the waiver process and Race to the Top, has encouraged states to evaluate teacher effectiveness by looking at student outcomes, among other factors. Has expanded the federal Teacher Incentive Fund, which awards grants to districts to create pay-for-performance programs.

    "It's time to start rewarding good teachers, stop making excuses for bad ones." —2009 speech to the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

  • Would make federal funding for teacher quality into a block-grant program and tie the funds to states' adoption of evaluation systems that take educator effectiveness into account. Supports elimination or overhaul of teacher tenure, and elimination of "last-in, first-out" dismissal rules.

    "The teachers unions are the clearest example of a group that has lost its way. Whenever anyone dares to offer a new idea, the unions protest the loudest." —2012 speech to the Latino Coalition




  • Accountability



  • Charters/ Choice



  • College Access



  • Early Childhood



  • Turnaround



  • Spending



  • Standards



  • Teacher Quality
Reporter: Alyson Klein / Editor: Mark Bomster / Art: Laura Baker, Paula Salerno, and Gina Tomko / Design and Programming: Paul Franz and Chienyi Cheri Hung