McCain on Education

by David Safier

Wednesday I wrote a post, Obama on Education. Thursday it was Clinton on Education. Today it’s McCain’s turn.

I planned to give you a detailed summary of McCain’s educational proposals like I did with Obama and Clinton, but I can’t, because there are no details on his Issues: Education page. His entire educational plan can be summed up in two words: School Choice. And that phrase can be boiled down to its one word essence: Vouchers.

McCain says in his short statement that schools are not doing a good job educating our kids, so all students should “have access to all schools of demonstrated excellence, including their own homes.” Schools should compete to offer the best education possible, and “parents should be empowered with school choice to send their children to the school that can best educate them just as many members of Congress do with their own children.”

He ends with the statement, “all federal financial support must be predicated on providing parents the ability to move their children, and the dollars associated with them, from failing schools.”

That’s it. Honest. I’m not leaving out any of his ideas, because there are no other ideas. Read it yourself.

Three words and phrases are conspicuously absent from McCain’s statement: Vouchers; Private Schools; Religious Schools.

The intent of McCain’s proposal is to give each student a voucher for government funds to be spent at any school, whether it be public or private, including religious schools. But he doesn’t say that, because lots of people are uneasy with the idea of government money supporting private schools, and especially private schools affiliated with a religious faith.

Is our own Favorite Son (gasp!) speaking in code words? The clear answer is, yes. All the voucher advocates know exactly what he’s saying, but others could think he’s just talking about letting children attend the public schools of their choice.

Code words? Mommy, Please, PLEASE tell me my Straight Talker isn’t using code words! I don’t think I can bear it!