Increase Head Start funding and create Early Learning Council (Comments)
"We'll increase Head Start funding and quadruple Early Start to include a quarter of a million at-risk children. I will create a Presidential Early Learning Council to coordinate this effort across all levels of government and ensure that we're providing these children and families with the highest-quality programs." — 11/20/07, Manchester, Iowa
Fund and improve the No Child Left Behind program (Comments)
"Obama will fund No Child Left Behind and improve its assessments and accountability systems." — Obama's Blueprint for Change
Support increased funding for the NEA (Comments)
Will "support increased funding for the National Endowment for the Arts, the support of which enriches schools and neighborhoods all across the nation and helps to promote the economic development of countless communities." — "Barack Obama and Joe Biden: Champions for Arts and Culture"
Create a new $4,000 American Opportunity Tax Credit (Comments)
"Will make college affordable for all Americans by creating a new American Opportunity Tax Credit. This universal and fully refundable credit will ensure that the first $4,000 of a college education is completely free for most Americans, and will cover two-thirds the cost of tuition at the average public college or university and make community college tuition completely free for most students. Recipients of the credit will be required to conduct 100 hours of community service." — Obama education plan
Include more technology in public schools (Comments)
"We'll help schools integrate technology into their curriculum so we can make sure public school students are fluent in the digital language of the 21st-century economy." — 9/9/08, Dayton, Ohio
Improve high school graduation rates (Comments)
"When I'm president, we'll fight to make sure we're once again first in the world when it comes to high school graduation rates." — 9/9/08, Dayton, Ohio
Double the number of high school students taking college level courses (Comments)
"And we'll also set a goal of increasing the number of high school students taking college-level or AP courses by 50 percent in the coming years." — 9/9/08, Dayton, Ohio
Double charter school funding (Comments)
"That is why as president, I'll double the funding for responsible charter schools." — 9/9/08, Dayton, Ohio
Issue annual education progress report (Comments)
"I will lead a new era of accountability in education. But I don't just want to hold our teachers accountable. I want you to hold our government accountable. I want you to hold me accountable. That's why every year I'm president, I will report back to you on the progress our schools are making." — 9/9/08, Dayton, Ohio
Create online report cards for parents to view (Comments)
"That's why I'll create a parent report card that will show you whether your kid is on the path to college." — 9/9/08, Dayton, Ohio
Support programs that work and improve those that don't (Comments)
"When I'm president, programs that work will get more money. Programs that don't will get less. And we'll send a team to fix bad programs by replacing bad managers." — 9/9/08, Dayton, Ohio
Provide tuition assistance to students who perform community service (Comments)
"And we will keep our promise to every young American — if you commit to serving your community or your country, we will make sure you can afford a college education." — 8/28/08, Denver
Recruit teachers and principals (Comments)
"As president, I will recruit hundreds of thousands of new teachers and principals." — 5/5/07, Baton Rouge, La.
Recruit science and technology teachers (Comments)
"As president, I will recruit a new generation of science and technology leaders to teach our children the skills they will need to be competitive." — 5/5/07, Baton Rouge, La.
Increase pay for teachers and principals (Comments)
"Let's make a promise right now that if you're a teacher or a principal doing the hard work of educating our children, we will reward that work with the salary increase that you deserve." — 7/5/07, Philadelphia
Pay tuition for students going into teaching (Comments)
"I will make this pledge as president: If you commit your life to teaching, America will commit to paying for your college education." — 11/20/07, Manchester, Iowa
Require schools of education to be accredited (Comments)
"To prepare our new teachers, we'll require that all schools of education are accredited, and we'll evaluate their outcomes so that we know which ones are doing the best job at preparing new teachers." — 11/20/07, Manchester, Iowa
Create voluntary teacher performance gauge (Comments)
"We'll also create a voluntary national performance assessment that actually looks at how prospective teachers can plan, teach, and support student learning." — 11/20/07, Manchester, Iowa
Boost teacher mentoring programs (Comments)
"To support our teachers, we will expand mentoring programs that pair experienced, successful teachers with new recruits." — 11/20/07, Manchester, Iowa
Create a new Classroom Corps (Comments)
"To help every American receive a world-class education, I will create a new Classroom Corps." — 12/5/07, Mt. Vernon, Iowa
Encourage community service by students (Comments)
"So when I'm president, I will set a goal for all American middle and high school students to perform 50 hours of community service a year, and for all college students to perform 100 hours of service a year." — 12/5/07, Mt. Vernon, Iowa
Coordinate with governors and educators to improve education (Comments)
"As president, I will work with our nation's governors and educators to create and use assessments that can improve achievement all across America by including the kinds of research, scientific investigation, and problem-solving that our children will need to compete in a 21st-century knowledge economy." — 5/28/08, Thornton, Colo.
Steer work-study funds to public service jobs (Comments)
"Obama will ensure that at least 25 percent of college work-study funds are used to support public service opportunities instead of jobs in dining halls and libraries." — Obama's Blueprint for Change
Launch childhood initiative (Comments)
"Obama will launch a Children's First Agenda that provides care, learning and support to families with children from birth up to 5 years old." — Obama's Blueprint for Change
Double funding for afterschool programs (Comments)
"Obama will double funding for the main federal support for afterschool programs, the 21st Century Learning Centers program, to serve a million more children." — Obama's Blueprint for Change
Lower high school dropout rate (Comments)
"Obama also will reduce the high school dropout rate and close the achievement gap by investing in proven intervention strategies in the middle grades and in summer learning and after-school opportunities." — Obama's Blueprint for Change
Provide incentives for rural teachers (Comments)
"Obama will provide incentives for talented individuals to enter the teaching profession, including increased pay for teachers who work in rural areas." — Obama's Blueprint for Change
Increase assistance to land-grant colleges (Comments)
"Obama will increase research and educational funding for land-grant colleges." — Obama's Blueprint for Change
If you know of other promises about education,
please add them to comments.
