Edwards Talks Education in Iowa

Edwards Talks Education in Iowa
By Amy Lorentzen--Associated Press
Monday, November 5, 2007
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CEDAR FALLS, Iowa (AP) — Democrat John Edwards on Sunday said there are two public school systems in America — one that's failing low-income students and the other catering to wealthier kids.

"Making sure that our schools work, and that they are not segregated based on race or economics, is a huge moral responsibility for the president of the United States," Edwards told a crowd of hundreds at the University of Northern Iowa during a presidential forum on education.

Edwards said the Bush administration has been "extraordinarily shortsighted" when it comes to making students globally competitive, slashing aid to students and funding to schools.

"If you just sort of watch the underbelly of the way the administration manages the federal budget, they are just constantly cutting away from those things," he said.

During the event, Edwards outlined the education plan he released earlier this year. His proposals include:

*Providing universal pre-kindergarten education for all 4-year-olds, starting with low-income children.
*Increasing pay for teachers, especially those in low-income areas, and offering bonuses to teachers who get national certification for excellence or who serve as mentors. He has proposed a national teacher's school to train 1,000 top college students each year to work in the classroom.
*Overhauling the No Child Left Behind Act, including finding better ways to identify and improve struggling schools.
*Offering more educational opportunities beyond high school through a "College for Everyone" initiative. He says it would pay for public-college tuition for one year for students who are willing to work through school and stay out of trouble.

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http://ap.google.com/media/ALeqM5i_81IaflR7ejTYd0NqJGH-wEbtDA?size=m
Democratic presidential hopeful, former Sen. John Edwards, holds up a University of Northern Iowa sweatshirt he was given Sunday, Nov. 4, 2007, at the University of Northern Iowa campus in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Edwards answered questions as part of the University of Northern Iowa's presidential-candidate education forum. (AP Photo / Matthew Putney)