A Voter's Guide to Education

'We have to make sure that every school in every state has the resources it needs to give every child a world-class education.'

Obama believes the Federal Government should play a bigger role in public education by funding innovative ideas proposed by individual school districts. He puts an emphasis on recruiting and retaining teachers, whom he calls the "single most important factor" for a child's success in the classroom.

Bright Idea
Would create a scholarship program to completely cover the cost of training for teachers willing to serve in a high-need field or location for four years

No Child Left Behind
No: Wants NCLB to go beyond standardized tests and offer support for failing schools

Vouchers
No: Believes that vouchers divert resources from the public-school system

Merit Pay
Yes: Supports merit pay for individual teachers — but not if it's based solely on test scores, and only if teachers support it

Longer School Day or Year
Yes: Would give grants to districts providing more learning time for students in need