Students disappointed education was barely discussed in debate
By GENE ZALESKIT&D Staff WriterFriday, April 27, 2007
Education policy experts, education advocates and South Carolina State University education students Friday morning were unanimous in grading the first presidential debate of the 2008 election year an “F” for its failure to adequately address education issues.
But those in attendance at the education post-debate forum at S.C. State remain optimistic education will have an adequate hearing and be able to raise its failing grade to an “A” before the dust settles on 2008 presidential run.
The estimated 75 students gathered for the forum were scratching their heads and wondering why education received barely a mention during Thursday night’s Democratic presidential debate.
“Poll after poll and election after election indicate that Americans care about the education of children in this country,” said Dr. Margaret A. Felder-Wilson, SCSU associate professor of education, humanities and social science.
She said that, in a recent poll, Democratic voters listed education as a top issue, behind the war in Iraq and health care.
“This poll suggest to us that education is a very important issue in South Carolina. We hope that the candidates are listening,” Felder-Wilson said.
Former S.C. Gov. Jim Hodges said while the debate format made it difficult to expound on many issues significantly, he said the glaring oversight was education issues, particularly facility quality, school safety and attracting good teachers.
“We all worry about quality schools,” Hodges said. He spoke to two presidential candidates following the debate and both expressed their surprise and desire to speak on educational issues. The questions were just never brought up.
“My hope in the months ahead is that we will use our status as South Carolina as an early primary state to try to propel the education issues to the forefront,” Hodges said.
“How do we get world-class schools and how do we give our kids skills they need to ... be competitive in the 21st century?” Hodges asked. “That is a major issue in the Democratic presidential campaign and I believe it is a winning issue for a Democratic candidate.”
Kim Anderson, a National Education Association lobbyist, said that 46 percent of households in South Carolina make $35,000 or less.
“How in the world are we going to make sure that South Carolinians’ future or the national future will improve if we don’t pay attention to education?” she asked.
Clifford Smith, junior elementary education major, acknowledged that the war was and is a significant issue, but said the failure to mention education was “troublesome.”
“It is the first debate. We still have a while and a few more debates upcoming. I look forward to seeing if they will address education in upcoming debates,” Smith said.
Smith said he thought Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton were “impressive,” as well as Congressman Dennis Kucinich.
“I probably won’t make a decision until closer in November,” Smith said. “It is early.”
Tyrene Woodberry, freshman math and education major, is giving his early nod to Obama.
“I feel like this is just the first debate and I think in the future education will become a main priority,” Woodberry said. “Without teachers, where will this world be? Everybody has to learn from somebody.”
Woodberry said he thinks most people feel like education is important and it may have just been temporarily placed on the backburner.
“I am just taking in what all the candidates are saying,” he said.
In addition to expressing disappointment over the debate, attendees discussed a number issues they would like to see addressed, with a particular focus on the ’No Child Left Behind Act of 2001.“
The act was designed to improve the performance of U.S. primary and secondary schools by increasing the standards of accountability for states and school districts.
“There is so much more to education than trying to limit it to a standardized test,” Anderson said, adding that No Child Left Behind is a “narrow” approach to education that tends to focus on those students right on the border of achievement and fails to address succeeding and poor-performing students.
T&D Staff Writer Gene Zaleski can be reached by e-mail at gzaleski@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-533-5551. Discuss this and other stories at TheTandD.com.
