Is Barack Obama making the right choices to advance education for Americans?

Answer 1

I am sure he believes that he is doing the right thing, and many of his supporters would agree. Nearly all presidents have wanted education to be a priority, and President Obama is very much a believer in the importance of a good education. But the problem in answering this question is not specifically about President Obama: it involves a current controversy about how best to improve America's schools. Just as some people disagreed with President Bush's "No Child Left Behind" policy, not everyone agrees with President Obama's "Race to the Top" policy.

The issue is whether standardized testing (currently very much in vogue) is an accurate measure of the quality of teaching. President Obama, like President Bush, has favored policies which make use of such tests, and not everyone agrees that the results of high-stakes tests are a reliable indicator of whether students are learning. Critics say that reliance on such tests only teaches students to memorize, and forces teachers to "teach to the test," rather than encouraging critical thinking skills. But that said, President Obama (along with his wife Michelle) strongly supports public education. The president also wants to make a college or vocational degree more affordable, and has advocated for a greater role for community colleges. As someone who benefited from getting a good education, he has said repeatedly that improving America's schools is a top priority, in order to help American graduates to compete in a global environment.