Obama's Education Record

Overview & Synopsis

In the fourth and final year of the first term of the Obama administration, enough time has elapsed to provide an opportunity for at least an interim assessment. Senator Lamar Alexander has commented that he has "a lot of admiration" for Obama's education secretary, Arne Duncan, and "respect" for the president's "positions on kindergarten through 12th-grade education." Former House Speaker and presidential candidate Newt Gingrich admitted that this is "the one area where I very much agree" with him. New Jersey governor Chris Christie exclaims that the president has been a "great ally" on education reform. Former Massachusetts governor and presidential candidate Mitt Romney acknowledges that "some of his education policies" have been "positive." However, the authors ask: Is President Obama as strong on education reform as these comments suggest? The authors argue that beyond the success stories, however, lie some very real weaknesses--soft spots in Obama's education record--that raise doubts about the long-term impact of the administration's efforts. They contend that Obama and Duncan have been good on education reform, certainly better than any of their Democratic predecessors. But to ignore the shortcomings of the president's K-12 education-reform record entirely would be a mistake. The administration deserves to be pressed on the cost-effectiveness of its education system bailouts, on the results of its Race to the Top initiative, and on the wisdom of its approach to federalism and separation of powers. (Contains 1 figure.)