Why isn't our serious problem with "education" a major issue for Presidential candidates?

[har]

Is is unsolvable? Is it too touchy a subject? With the extroidinarily high drop-out rate, lack of interest and motivation, poor test scores, non-English-speaking students, uninvolved parents, and reduced financial aid for schools, it seems to be an insurmountable problem, but it is the future of our country! Why are none of the candidates seriously addressing the problem?

[abushfamilymember3640]

Because solutions are not P.C.. The solutions are to both encourage poor people to stop creating single parent households and to encourage politicians to decrease the amount of government freebies they hand out. If there were not so many government "freebies", children would study harder since they would know they need an education to support themselves (People are not happy when the government takes away freebies and hurts "victims". )One in ten high schools have an over 60% dropout rate even when the U.S. spends more per student than almost all countries in the world.U.S. government website:http://www.ed.gov/about/overview/fed/10facts/edlite-chart.html

[4E4A6970]

Because usually most Democrats only want to put more money in the pot. Which doesn't really fix the problem, just puts a bandaid on it. The Republicans usually want to rein everyone in and have it their way. The real fix is somewhere in between. That would be one of the reasons I'm not impressed with McCain as the Republican candidate, he looks at issues too much like the Democrats do, so none of them see a problem that money can't fix.If my grandchild cannot start kindergarten until he can write his own name and count to ten...why is it ok for kids that can't even speak the language to be there? Money won't fix that problem.

[JohnC]

I think education is mostly a State and regional matter. Local taxes pay for schools. State lotteries, etc. The feds have the No Child Left Behind Act but they really lack being able to tell the local districts what to do. All they can really do is withold federal funding. So, basically, the Feds have some influence but mostly reform must be started locally within the district or State. Hope this helps.

[MrBillM]

Do not worry the democrats will fix education.Wait the screwed it up for how many years, and they want to finish it off. Way to go libtards.

[lorencehill7126]

Too much of a political hot button right now, and also it will separate the voters. If people come out with their plans they either alienate the parents that want changes in the educational system, or the big teacher's unions if they bring up proposals to change educational practises....and the unions are big money contributors to the candidates. When the Dem's have finally chosen just one candidate, then they will start talking about it, but only in pieces, and with no big change proposals for the same fears, as they don't want to lose votes or lose their money contributors.

[bob14429122]

and what are they going to say or do....make the students care....make the parents get involved....best solution is the voucher system allowing parents and students to choose their high school....and elimination of the teacher unions

[tskelton155]

President Bush has the "No Child Left Behind" program that addresses the situation TODAY. Candidates need the presidents support (or lack of it) in their campaign program. That includes the support of those that Bush has in place (Dept. heads--Dept. of Education!!). You cannot change anything in existance UNTIL you are in a position TO CHANGE IT...the presidency. Thats why no one is stressing the education issue and bouncing on other key issues that can be changed.Dr. Tommy Skelton

[chadp]

because they are all ivy league, private school educated people. they are elites who are out of touch with the struggles of real people. i would say mccain is the most in touch because of his service in the navy. i am in the navy and its a real education of real life. obama and hillary are rich ivy leagues lawyer snobs. how are they going to know what really happens in an inner city school. sure you will see them in tv visiting a school for an hour, is that enough to get a feeling of what is happening in our school system? no. our problems will continue, we will fall further in debt, and we will crash, and then as we always do, we will rise again and become powerful again...hopefully.

[tincoatr9840]

The biggest problem with our educational system is that they have quit teaching the kids and have instead become parental substitutes. Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic are secondary to Sex Education, Morales training, violence prevention, sensitivity training, and monitoring of outside activities such as student MySpace pages. It will be very difficult to lower drop out rates and improve interest, motivation, and test scores with this as the priority. The economic slowdown (or recession) will make it difficult to make more financial aid available to the schools without raising taxes which candidates don't want to say they will do.