Which presidential candidate is better for education?

Discussion in 'Political Discussions' started by Randell1234, Jun 23, 2012.

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Which presidential candidate is better for education?

  1. Romney

    2 vote(s)
    11.8%
  2. Obama

    7 vote(s)
    41.2%
  3. Too early to tell

    3 vote(s)
    17.6%
  4. Neither

    5 vote(s)
    29.4%
  1. Randell1234

    Randell1234 Moderator

    This is a general question about which candidate is better for the educational establishment. I know when I was in the Army we would often try to figure out who would be better for the military regardless of their other views. Any insight?
     
  2. StefanM

    StefanM New Member

    Obama.

    Romney seems to be on the side of cutting, and that could have a material impact on revenues.
     
  3. BobbyJim

    BobbyJim New Member

    How about a poll about which may be better for students and taxpayers?
     
  4. Randell1234

    Randell1234 Moderator

    Don't care about that because that is not the focus of my question but thanks for the suggestion.
     
  5. ryoder

    ryoder New Member

    Increased tuition costs are bad for education. Increased government subsidies increase tuition costs. Therefore, Obama, by his very nature, is bad for education.
     
  6. BobbyJim

    BobbyJim New Member

    Maybe not really relevant to the poll question “..which candidate is better for the educational establishment” or the current educational bureaucracy, I think is the current topic.

    That’s why I suggested another poll.
     
  7. CalDog

    CalDog New Member

    The for-profit education sector is strongly behind Romney. Several of his campaign advisors have ties to for-profit education companies, and Romney has repeatedly endorsed Full Sail University, a for-profit school in Florida. Full Sail is nationally accredited (by ACCSC) and offers both B&M and online programs.

    The Obama administration introduced new "gainful employment" regulations last year, which require schools that accept Federal aid to meet certain standards for loan repayment by graduates. These regulations are unpopular in the for-profit education sector (although they apply to all schools, including non-profits), and it is considered likely that they would be rolled back if Romney took office.

     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jun 23, 2012
  8. carlosb

    carlosb New Member

    The National Education Association endorsed Obama last election from the start. They still support him.

    Need i say more?
     
  9. Maniac Craniac

    Maniac Craniac Moderator Staff Member

    What subsidies is Obama planning that Romney isn't, or what cuts is Romney planning?
     
  10. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    Yes, since just because a union supports him doesn't mean that he's good for the actual industry as a whole.
     
  11. carlosb

    carlosb New Member

    The American Federation of Teachers' executive council unanimously voted to endorse Barack Obama for U.S. President.

    In February 2012.

    Before they had any clue who the Republican would be.


    Most college presidents plan to vote for Obama, survey says

    Most college presidents — leaving aside those in for-profit higher education — plan to vote for President Obama this fall, even if only a minority believe that he has fulfilled the promise for higher education that many of them saw four years ago, according to a survey of more than 1,000 college presidents by Inside Higher Ed

    http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/story/2012-03-08/college-presidents-vote-obama/53414704/1
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jun 23, 2012
  12. rebel100

    rebel100 New Member

    I doubt we will see a measurable difference between the two. I'm very dissapointed in the choices, I don't like either of them much (I'm getting quite used to that though). Romney's continued support of Full Sail, a school local to me, is nauseating. They are generally known for turning out disgruntled burger flippers who come bearing mountains of student loan debt.

    Not directly related but Ann Romney graduated from HES. I wonder if Mitt and Barak look down on her since the degree came from the continuing education branch of Harvard. hehehe :)
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jun 23, 2012
  13. mattbrent

    mattbrent Well-Known Member

    As a local president for the NEA, I wasn't exactly happen with that decision, but I understand how they made it. With any of their "recommendations" (they try not to use the word "endorse") they review candidates' statements and past history. They rank the candidates based on their alignment to the NEA's core propositions, and whichever candidate has the higher score is the one they recommend.

    One of the BIGGEST things that turns them off from Romney or any Republican presidential candidate is that Republicans tend to favor vouchers and tuition tax credits. The NEA is staunchly against these because the organization believes it would take money away from public education and funnel it elsewhere. The NEA does, however, endorse Republicans if they rank higher on the grade sheet than the other candidates. As NEA states, the organization is "issue driven and party blind."

    -Matt
     
  14. CalDog

    CalDog New Member

    Full Sail's graduation and employment rates actually seem reasonable by for-profit school standards. However, it does seems fair to suggest that their costs are unusually high for a non-RA school:

     
  15. CalDog

    CalDog New Member

    If Romney wins, I would look for the following general trends:

    (1) A trend towards decreased government support for public universities, accompanied by rising tuition at public universities to compensate.

    This could be a plus or a minus, depending on which education sector you are in. Obviously this could be a minus if you are a student or employee at a state school. On the other hand, this change could be a plus for private schools (both for-profit private schools and non-profit private schools), because it reduces or eliminates the cost advantage that public schools have traditionally had.

    (2) A trend towards more limited government-subsidized grants or loans to students, accompanied by an increased role for private lenders.

    This could be a minus if you are a student, because private lenders are generally tougher about repayment (it could be a double minus for students at state schools, who might face both higher tuition because of point 1, and tougher lending terms because of point 2). On the other hand, this change could be a plus for the lending industry, because student loans are very profitable. The rules on student loans are heavily tilted in the lender's favor, since student loan debts cannot be discharged in bankruptcy.

    (3) A trend towards deregulation of for-profit schools, allowing them to market prospective students more aggressively.

    This is obviously a plus for the owners and shareholders of for-profit schools. It could be perceived as either a plus or a minus for students or taxpayers, depending on your opinion of the value of for-profit programs. Some people, including Romney, have argued that the for-profit sector delivers education more efficiently; others have argued that for-profit schools are a bad deal for both students and taxpayers, since they tend to have lower graduation rates and higher default rates.


    *****

    I don't see any simple answer to the question "Which candidate is better for education?". Different people can reasonably reach different conclusions, dependiing on their role in the education sector (student, employee, shareholder, lender, etc) and the type of educational institution that they represent (public, private non-profit, private for-profit, etc)
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jun 23, 2012
  16. LearningAddict

    LearningAddict Well-Known Member

    @CalDog

    Holy cow! Those prices are outrageous!
     
  17. rebel100

    rebel100 New Member

    Well, perhaps. I believe closer independent scrutiny would reveal a lot of recording arts graduates answering phones at universal studios theme park and reporting they are "in the movie biz". My issue is really the way Mitt holds the school up as an ideal when just below the surface the current flows the other way. Grand Canyon, and AMU are much better examples of for profit success even U of P has a product that I suspect to be quantifiably more valuable.
     
  18. CalDog

    CalDog New Member

    Again, it depends on your perspective.

    If you are looking at it from a student perspective, then you may be right. As the cited story points out:

    But from a taxpayer perspective, Full Sail may be cheaper. The public schools have low tuition because they get public subsidies. Full Sail operates without public support. Furthermore, most of the money that Full Sail students borrow comes from private lenders. From a taxpayer perspective, the cost might actually be lower when a student enrolls at Full Sail than if the same student enrolled at UCF or Valencia.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jun 23, 2012
  19. Ted Heiks

    Ted Heiks Moderator and Distinguished Senior Member

    Barack Hussein Obama
     
  20. Ian Anderson

    Ian Anderson Active Member

    I have not yet studied the various candidates ideas but for either it also depends on the two branches of congress. But I feel the bigger impact on education would be from the states (at least for public colleges & universities).
     

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