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Despite their major differences on many issues, U.S. President Barack Obama and presidential candidate Mitt Romney largely agree on education policy. Both have come out in favor of charter schools (which are privately managed but government funded, based on the number of students they attract), and both agree that teachers should be held accountable for whether or not their students learn.
Both positions are opposed by most teachers unions. Where they disagree is on the issue of school vouchers, or whether the government should pay tuition for students who attend private schools. Obama opposes doing so, but Romney is in favor, arguing that doing so promotes innovation and increases competition among providers. It shifts power and money away from the authorities running school systems and puts it into the hands of parents – which may be the most fundamental change.
The articles that follow lay out Romney’s position and contrast it with positions of the Obama administration.
- “Why Romney, Obama Are Education Twins” – May 27, 2012. By Jay Mathews, Washington Post.
- “Romney Calls Education ‘Civil Rights Issue’ of Our Era’ and Urges Shift” – May 23, 2012. By Trip Gabriel, New York Times
- “Mitt Romney promotes school vouchers in attack on Obama’s education policy” – May 23, 2012. By Lyndsey Layton and Philip Rucker, Washington Post.
