Thursday, April 12, 2012

Why And How Democratic Candidates Should Talk About Education In 2012 | OurFuture.org

Why And How Democratic Candidates Should Talk About Education In 2012 | OurFuture.org:


Why And How Democratic Candidates Should Talk About Education In 2012

So the "general election has begun" proclaims The Hill, and the exhortations from the punditry are for candidates to either, shore up their base or move to the center.
One interesting bit of advice, coming from more than one source, is for the candidates to "talk about education." Recent research results from the College Board strongly suggest that advice may not be a bad idea. But if Democratic candidates want to take that advice to heart, they need to develop more effective education talking points than what's currently being conveyed.
Education Is "Top Tier" In 2012 Election
According to the College Board survey, "education is a top issue for voters in this year’s elections." Interesting data nuggets available in the pdf (link above) include:
    • 67 percent of the responders say education will be extremely important to them personally in this year’s elections for president and Congress. • Education ranks behind jobs and the economy (82 percent extremely important) and is on par with government spending (69 percent), health care (67 percent), and the federal budget