DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Palus Politicus Education: Democratic Candidates

Many may have missed this event. The NEA recently held their conference in Houston. All Democratic candidates were invited, ten showed up (the others either declined or had previous engagements...their loss). The top tier candidates are all here, however. They get 1min opening remarks, 4-5 questions posed from teachers across the nation and then closing remarks. You don't need FB to watch this and the good thing is...no commercials and you can fast forward/rewind where and when needed.

This is worth watching. In my humble opinion, Warren hands down wins the day, but I still think Harris has a spine of steel, which sets her up well to debate Trump. She still needs to address her critics re: her prosecuting days, however. That day will no doubt come. I'll be interested in what others think of this event. On a side note...let's choose to ignore the inevitable trolls and try to focus on a proper, mature dialogue and talking points.

https://www.facebook.com/ABCWorldNewsNow/videos/637326673444253/

Wow...I am surprised and kinda shocked that there have been no replies on such an important issue.

Ok. How much money did she offer them?

I don't know what this means or what you are trying to make comment on or joking about.

Sorry I was busy getting back up.

GO TIM

I'm just guessing, but I think it means that the democrats answer to fixing almost all problems is about:

-Throwing more money at it
-Creating new government programs
-Greater federal government control

I find it highly ironic that the more the federal government seeks to control education, the more political it gets and the farther it slips in the rankings...

I suspect some Dems will prioritize their spending on education and make cuts in other places rather than "throw more money at it".

I think it slips in rankings because for some reason the US doesn't value K-12 education. We have arguably the greatest post HS education/University in the world (UK is also very high), yet we seem to not value education in the younger years, which obviously feeds into College. This, without a doubt, is WHY we slip further in our world rankings.

I'm curious what you mean by this. We are at or near the top every year in per pupil spending... the money is there, the results are not (which is the primary reason I'm very leary that more money is actually going to fix anything). Are you saying as individuals, as parents we don't value it? If that's the case, then I can get behind that and would like to explore it further...

But if the old adage is true, "put your money where your mouth is", we are putting the money into it...

Our education is where it is because too many kids, and parents, don't care, don't emphasize it, and don't work at it.......then blame the schools.

By and large the US does not value K-12 education...it is still viewed in many respects as 9 months of child care rather than the stepping stone to higher education. Or, people assume that the teacher should work miracles on a child who is getting no help or support at home.

Reading isn't valued as it once was...we recently moved house and I can't tell you how many houses we looked at that had literally NO books. Reading and comprehension alone are significant in success in and outside of school. A shocking statistic...California looks at how many prison beds they will need based on how many high school kids are still reading at a 3rd grade level. It takes a village...Teachers can only do so much with the kids who walk into their door 6-8 hours a day/9 months a year, but it's proven over and over again that children make significant strides forward in their education and are able to reach their true potential far easier if they have help and support at home. Education doesn't begin at 8 and end at 3:30 nor does it end in June.

There are also social issues that impact a child's education. Obviously if a child is hungry they won't be able to learn as well as a child who is fed. All of the above play into our Education stats. On the whole, if we valued education as much as we seem to value our military....I would have no doubt we would be much closer to the top of those stats.

And, to be honest, the lack of replies in here on this very issue speaks volumes. Don't you think?

Ryan? Really?

What has the guy accomplished in his 17 years in Congress. (or whatever the number is) What bills has he sponsored that have become law?

I can think of one. He re-named the 711 bypass the "Robert Hagan Memorial Highway". That's the only one I can think of. Sure, he's slapped his name on some bills as "co-sponsor", but that usually means he was just one of the 1st to support that bill ..... and as often as not, it's done as a political maneuver.

So what makes Tim Ryan a quality candidate for President?

He was President of the Young Democrats in College. He then ran for State Senate, and won. The Democrat powers that be decided that he was young, with a pretty face, so they ran him for Congress .... knowing that at his age, he could hold that seat for decades in a heavily Democratic area.

What has he accomplished? His page on his own Congressional site is mainly filler, without a single accomplishment mentioned.

About | Congressman Tim Ryan
https://timryan.house.gov/about

Ugh. I would vote for Elizabeth Warren before I'd vote for Tim Ryan.

^^^^ Spot on!

I want to reply. I have a lot to say. I am restraining myself because some of the past discussions about public education have irritated me beyond belief. I will say that I agree w/what you and arch have said in this thread and you can throw in some of the elements in bonefish's Competition thread into it, too.

And how much of that do you think has to do with perception? For decades the notion that our schools are terrible (for any number of reasons) has been increasingly growing... as this repetitive chant that our schools suck has grown louder, interest in schooling has grown weaker... do you think there is a correlation?

I think you are extremely far off base w/that take. Think about this........do many kids succeed in school? The answer is a resounding "YES!"

Well, how can they succeed when our schools suck so bad? Some like to tell us that students fail because schools suck. That's a load of crap.

I think schools could be much better, but they often are forced to make changes due to public perception and those changes are typically bad for all concerned.

I have worked as a teacher, coach, administrator and was on the SIC team for our school. I have a list of reasons why education in this country is not what it could be and they differ from the reasons the public routinely trots out there.

I would not be surprised if you slept your way through school.

I am sorry that you find the education of our children and subsequently our nation to be a bore. But, your response also proves my point that education isn't valued in the US.

"Exhibit A"

From reading your posts, same as you.

and I would vote for Trump again before I would vote for most of the Dems running. However Tim would get my vote before Trump would.

LOL I’m not.

Why? I ask again; What has Ryan accomplished in his entire career? What has he done?

It's not what he has done in the past. It's what I believe he will do in the future. I have talked to him face to face a few times. Including when he was leaning more right than left. I truly believe he is pretty much down the middle i his beliefs. Not to far right or left. He is what this country needs right now. Don't think for a minute that he won't be more forceful his real beliefs IF he is president than he shows right now. Right now he is playing the game and trying to garner more support from those who don't know him.

I want him to begin forcefully getting his positions and policies out.

His debate performance did him few favors, and he hasn't yet distinguished himself from the rest of the pack.

If he is to have a shot, he must first TAKE a shot.

Hope to see more from him. I'm still open to all of them.

Why are we talking about Tim Ryan like he's still alive after Tulsi murdered him on live TV?

I don’t think anyone has brought up the idea of requiring large corporations who pay little or no taxes to take some responsibility to education for their future work force. Probably because the abuse they’d take.

I understand the point you are making, but it could also be dangerous territory as that company may want to then influence curriculum and syllabus. I also wouldn't want to see corporate branding all over schools etc.

It's bad enough to see vending machines these days.

i dont even have student loan debt, but this is something i'll be in full support over. this is a policy that helps our citizens, regardless of political leanings.

and like Gage stated in another thread, she has actual PLANS that she's willing to roll out.

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/07/23/elizabet...n-students.html

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., introduced a bill Tuesday that would forgive student loans for tens of millions of Americans. Three-quarters of borrowers would have their balances reset to zero.

Warren, who is running for president, first released her plan in April, but the legislation – dubbed the Student Loan Debt Relief Act – offers new details on how she would go about dismantling the country’s outstanding student debt tab, soon expected to exceed $2 trillion.

Education debt in the U.S. has eclipsed credit card and auto debt. Today the average college graduate leaves school $30,000 in the red, up from $10,000 in the 1990s, and 28% of student loan borrowers are in delinquency or default.



Under Warren’s proposal, introduced along with Rep. James E. Clyburn, D-S.C., borrowers with household incomes under $100,000 would get $50,000 of their student debt forgiven. People who earn between $100,000 and $250,000 would be eligible for forgiveness on a sliding scale – the cancellation amount reduces by $1 for every $3 a person earns over $100,000. And those who earn more than $250,000 would not get any debt relief.

The degree of debt forgiveness a person receives would be determined by their income in the most recent tax year. The loan cancellations would take about a year from the time the bill is enacted to complete.

No paperwork will be required as the cancellations would be carried out automatically through information sharing between the Treasury Department, the Internal Revenue Service and the Department of Education.

If a borrower has multiple loans, the Department of Education will void the loan with either the highest interest rate or outstanding balance. So-called Parent Plus loans are also eligible for cancellation.

Any forgiven debt would not be considered taxable income. Those with private student loans would be given the option to convert them into federal loans.


VIDEO18:06
Why college is so expensive in America
The plan would likely be funded with a 2% annual tax Warren proposes to levy on accumulations of wealth exceeding $50 million, with an additional 1% levy on wealth exceeding $1 billion.

Consumer advocacy groups, including the National Consumer Law Center, came out in support of the plan.

“We know that millions of young people across the country — many of whom are students of color and low-income students — are buried under insurmountable debt from pursuing higher education,” said Rachel Fleischer, the executive director of Young Invincibles, a student advocacy group. “We support bills like the Student Loan Debt Relief Act because it recognizes the enormity of the crisis facing today’s borrowers.”

Critics say the plan is costly and fails to address the root of the problem with today’s higher education system. “This proposal does nothing to decrease the cost of college and does not help future students,” said Richard Hunt, president and CEO of the Consumer Bankers Association. “It is short-term, short-sighted and comes up short in every way except its cost to taxpayers.”

More from Personal Finance:
Here’s how much income tax you’re paying to your state
A parent’s guide to helping their kid get into college
Michael Avenatti allegedly failed to file tax returns. That’s a bad idea

And others don’t see a viable road to passage for the legislation. Republicans are unlikely to support the bill, said Mark Kantrowitz, a higher education expert. “It might even have difficulty passing the House, where some Democrats may hesitate because of the cost,” Kantrowitz said.

Still, the plan is popular among voters.

In a Politico/Morning Consult poll, 56% of registered voters said they support the Massachusetts senator’s proposal to cancel outstanding education loans by raising taxes on the wealthiest Americans. Just 27% of voters said they opposed the plan.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., announced a proposal in June to completely wipe out the country’s $1.6 trillion outstanding student loan balance, intensifying the higher education policy debate in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary.

I'm fortunate enough to be down to my last 5k or so in student loan debt. The only reason I haven't paid it in full is because I'm on a ridiculously low interest rate (1.2%), so it seems silly to sell some equities in my Ally account against that return.

I say this because I both have had to deal with repayment of student loan debt, as well as being close to the end horizon of said debt, and I believe we need to take drastic measures. Doctors can't buy houses because their debt to income ratio is so bad that even with a six figure income, they aren't considered lendable. If Doctors can't do that, what use is it for those professions that aren't expected to sit above the middle class?

The current student loan process lets colleges become hawks on unsuspecting families because they know the US govt will guarantee the loan. Even if a student takes on private loans, those private loans are protected from bankruptcy by federal law! So we've created a system where colleges can charge whatever they want, because the single best way to give you a solid middle class (or better) income for your entire working career is to go to college. I know there are outliers. Heck I only have a 2 year degree, not a full bachelors. But I'm the exception, not the rule.

If you can't discharge student loans because there is no collateral, then you must also set the prices to eliminate gouging. It's that simple. Either the US govt lets people walk away from student loan debt, or the US govt sets the prices while also making sure universities get paid for their services.

That could cause both of my kids to vote for her.