Presidential Education Advisers Go Head-to-Head in Live Debate

This from the Principal's Policy Blog:

During a recent debate at Columbia University, the chief education advisers to the presidential nominees went head-to-head on the issue of education, putting to rest some of the ambiguity expressed by both candidates during a race that has been marked by a clear lack of priority on the topic of education.

The debate featured Linda Darling-Hammond, education adviser to Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama, and Lisa Graham Keegan, chief education adviser to Republican nominee Sen. John McCain, and was webcast live on www.edweek.org with support from NASSP...

• On federal funding, the advisers lambasted each other on the opposing candidate’s fiscal plans
• When it comes to No Child Left Behind (NCLB), the saga continues as neither adviser provided concrete examples of how their candidate would change the law if elected.
• Sen. Obama is a strong supporter of using career ladders as an incentive for teachers, Darling-Hammond said. Keegan, on the other hand, does not see how career ladders will effectively motivate teachers.
• Both candidates support charter schools, yet vouchers prove to be an entirely different animal among the campaigns.