Key elements of the plan [with some of my initial thoughts in brackets]:
--Pay successful teachers more, usher unsuccessful teachers out the door. [no word on how this will be measured, though. In general, test scores are used as the benchmark - a measure that almost certainly would do more harm than good.]
--More funding for early childhood education.
--Cutting funding for wasteful education programs, i.e. any federally-funded education programs that have not been able to demonstrate that they are working.
--Expanded access to daytime child care for working parents.
--More funding for successful charter schools. Removal of state-level caps on the number of charter schools allowed as a trade-off for more accountability.
--"Better standards and assessments," i.e. national standards. [yet another set of high-stakes tests? Or would the implementation of national tests entail doing away with the state-level tests?]
--A fund to invest in innovation at the district level.
--Improved data-sharing to track students' educational progress from childhood through college. [this raises serious privacy concerns]
--Using the stimulus to avoid teacher layoffs. Improve teacher recruiting and retention.
--Alternative certification programs. ("Alternative routes to teaching").
--More time in school through a longer school day and a longer school year. [will teachers be paid more as a result? How would this affect kids' ability to participate in extracurriculars, athletics, and summer programs? How will the extra time be used effectively?]
--Extra pay for math and science teachers to make up for shortages.
--New efforts to discourage dropping out.
--Simplify federal financial aid assistance forms to encourage the pursuit of higher education or vocational training. Increased Pell Grants and Perkins Loans.
--Increased adult education and job training options, especially delivered through community colleges.
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