cec election guide

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I Educate,I Participate

2012 PresidentialElection Voter Education

Guide


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September 10, 2012

Dear CEC Member,

With Election Day quickly approaching, CEC is pleased to provide you with I Educate, IParticipate: 2012 Presidential Election Voter Education Guide, your resource to theupcoming presidential elections.

As special educators, it is our role to promote civic responsibility and participation in ourdemocracy. To exemplify this, CEC has unveiled its I Educate, I Participate initiative to

illustrate the strong voice of special educators as active participants in our society.

While CEC does not take a position supporting or opposing any candidate or politicalparty, we do want to provide members with general information on the presidentialcandidates, voter registration information, and classroom resources. For additionalinformation, please visit CECs Legislative Action Center online atwww.cec.sped.org/LAC.

Together we can make a difference,

Deborah A. ZieglerAssociate Executive DirectorPolicy and Advocacy Services

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2012 ElectionTuesday,

November 6:What Will

You Decide?

This years presidential election will prove decisive

for special education. Follow CEC for updated

information on election news and special education.

Follow @CECAdvocacy atwww.twitter.com/cecadvocacy

Find your Congressional Delegation athttp://capwiz.com/cek/home/

Subscribe to CECs Policy Insider Blog [email protected]

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http://www.twitter.com/cecadvocacyhttp://www.twitter.com/cecadvocacyhttp://capwiz.com/cek/home/http://capwiz.com/cek/home/mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]://capwiz.com/cek/home/http://www.twitter.com/cecadvocacy


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The information below comes directly from the candidates websitePresident Barack ObamaDemocratic Party@BarackObamahttp://www.facebook.com/barackobama

Residence:Chicago, IL

Marital Status:Married (Michelle)

Prev. Occupation:Attorney, Lecturer

Prev. Political Exp.:IL Senate, 1996-2004; US Senate (IL), 2004-08

Education:BA Columbia University, 1983; JD Harvard University, 1991

Birthdate:08/04/1961

Birthplace:Honolulu, HI

Religion:Christian

Understanding that America has to out-educate the rest of the world to be competitive in theglobal economy, President Obama has made education a national priority. President Obama has

doubled our investment in scholarships and financial aid so students from working- and middle-class families can access and complete the college education they need to get the good jobs ofthe future. President Obama has worked to raise K-12 standards, invest in teachers, and turnaround low-performing schools so that children are prepared for college and careers. The Obamaadministration fought to save the jobs of hundreds of thousands of educators across the country.

Student Loan Reform

The President signed a new law that makes it easier for students to pay back their federal collegeloans. Starting in 2014, new borrowers will pay no more than 10 percent of their disposableincome, and the President recently proposed accelerating this benefit for current students. The

law also allows any remaining debt to be forgiven after 20 years. Those engaged in public-service professionssuch as teachers, nurses, or members of the armed forceswill have anyremaining debt forgiven after 10 years if they make their payments on time.

Making College Affordable

President Obama made college more affordable by doubling funding for Pell Grants, increasingthe number of recipients from 6 million to 9 million since 2008. He achieved this in part byeliminating the middlemen from the college-loan program, taking away billions of taxpayerdollars that were going to the banks instead of students.

The President created and extended the American Opportunity Tax Credit, worth as much as$10,000 over four years of school. The college tax credit is expected to have helped an estimated9.4 million students and families in 2011.

Supporting Teachers and Students

In his State of the Union address, President Obama challenged schools and states to keep goodteachers on the job and keep students in school until they graduate or turn 18.

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The Obama administration also fought to save the jobs of hundreds of thousands of educators

across the country. The Recovery Act supported roughly 300,000 education jobs, and in 2010

President Obama helped school districts prevent 161,000 teacher and school staff layoffs.

Reforming No Child Left Behind

To give states the flexibility to use local solutions to improve their schools, and in the face of

congressional inaction, President Obama acted to offer states relief from No Child Left Behind mandates.

Community Colleges

President Obama is investing in competitive grants to reform community colleges, supporting

partnerships between community colleges and employers to provide pathways to good jobs.

As a candidate, Barack Obama proposed the creation of a community college partnership

program to support institutions that provide a stepping stone to better jobs for millions ofAmericans. As President, he kept his word and created a new Community College to Career

Fundto build on that progress. (http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/02/13/fact-sheet-blueprint-train-two-million-workers-high-demand-industries-th)

Race to the Top: Partnering with States to Raise Standards

The administration implemented the Race to the Top program, which rewards states formaking tough reformsraising standards, helping teachers improve, and turning around

struggling schools.

Since 2010, the administration has awarded Race to the Top grants, including EarlyLearning Challenge grants, to 21 states and the District of Columbia, which serve 65

percent of the nations children and 59 percent of all low-income students in the country.Overall, the Race to the Top competition has encouraged states to adopt a high-quality

framework of educational standardsand 46 states have already adopted the reforms.

Post 9/11 GI Bill

President Obama signed into law an update to the post-9/11 G.I. Bill, which makes it easier forNational Guard members who performed active service to qualify for benefits, and allows for

education benefits to be transferred to family members.

Giving All Students a Shot

Along with proposing other common-sense immigration reforms, President Obama is committedto giving the hundreds of thousands of hardworking students who arent yet American citizens a

chance to earn their citizenship.

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For more information, and to see videos on these

subjects, clickhere.http://www.barackobama.com/record/education?source=primary-nav

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http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/02/13/fact-sheet-blueprint-train-two-million-workers-high-demand-industries-thhttp://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/02/13/fact-sheet-blueprint-train-two-million-workers-high-demand-industries-thhttp://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/02/13/fact-sheet-blueprint-train-two-million-workers-high-demand-industries-thhttp://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/02/13/fact-sheet-blueprint-train-two-million-workers-high-demand-industries-thhttp://www.barackobama.com/record/education?source=primary-navhttp://www.barackobama.com/record/education?source=primary-navhttp://www.barackobama.com/record/education?source=primary-navhttp://www.barackobama.com/record/education?source=primary-navhttp://www.barackobama.com/record/education?source=primary-navhttp://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/02/13/fact-sheet-blueprint-train-two-million-workers-high-demand-industries-thhttp://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/02/13/fact-sheet-blueprint-train-two-million-workers-high-demand-industries-thhttp://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/02/13/fact-sheet-blueprint-train-two-million-workers-high-demand-industries-thhttp://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/02/13/fact-sheet-blueprint-train-two-million-workers-high-demand-industries-th


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The following is excerpted from the Democratic National Committees 2012 Platform

An Economy that Out-Educates the World and Offers Greater Access to

Higher Education and Technical Training

Democrats believe that getting an education is the surest path to the middle class, giving allstudents the opportunity to fulfill their dreams and contribute to our economy and democracy.Public education is one of our critical democratic institutions. We are committed to ensuring thatevery child in America has access to a world-class public education so we can out-educate theworld and make sure America has the world's highest proportion of college graduates by 2020.This requires excellence at every level of our education system, from early learning throughpost-secondary education. It means we must close the achievement gap in America's schools andensure that in every neighborhood in the country, children can benefit from high-qualityeducational opportunities.

This is why we have helped states and territories develop comprehensive plans to raise standards

and improve instruction in their early learning programs and invested in expanding andreforming Head Start.

President Obama and the Democrats are committed to working with states and communities sothey have the flexibility and resources they need to improve elementary and secondary educationin a way that works best for students. To that end, the President challenged and encouraged statesto raise their standards so students graduate ready for college or career and can succeed in adynamic global economy. Forty-six states responded, leading groundbreaking reforms that willdeliver better education to millions of American students. Too many students, particularlystudents of color and disadvantaged students drop out of our schools, and Democrats know wemust address the dropout crisis with the urgency it deserves. The Democratic Party understands

the importance of turning around struggling public schools. We will continue to strengthen allour schools and work to expand public school options for low-income youth, including magnetschools, charter schools, teacher-led schools, and career academies.

Because there is no substitute for a great teacher at the head of a classroom, the President helpedschool districts save more than 400,000 educator jobs.

We Democrats honor our nation's teachers, who do a heroic job for their students every day. Ifwe want high-quality education for all our kids, we must listen to the people who are on the frontlines. The President has laid out a plan to prevent more teacher layoffs while attracting andrewarding great teachers. This includes raising standards for the programs that prepare our

teachers, recognizing and rewarding good teaching, and retaining good teachers. We also believein carefully crafted evaluation systems that give struggling teachers a chance to succeed andprotect due process if another teacher has to be put in the classroom. We also recognize there isno substitute for a parent's involvement in their child's education.

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hard to achieve it. Post-secondary education cannot become a luxury for the few; instead, allstudents should have the opportunity to attend a college that best suits their needs. Whether it ispublic or private, traditional or online, college must be available and affordable.

Improving education in America is a priority for Mitt. He knows what can be accomplished

when governors are empowered to reform their education systems, when education entrepreneursare given the freedom to innovate, when teachers are rewarded for boosting student achievement,and when students are empowered to select a school or education program that meets their needs.Americans have long been known for their creativity, ingenuity, and bold vision for our country,

and this attitude must apply to our education system.

More resources:A Chance for Every Child

http://www.mittromney.com/blogs/mitts-view/2012/05/chance-every-child-0

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The following is excerpted from the Republican National Committees 2012 Platform

Education: A Chance for Every Child

Parents are responsible for the education of their children. We do not believe in a one size fits allapproach to education and support providing broad education choices to parents and children atthe State and local level. Maintaining American preeminence requires a world-class system ofeducation, with high standards, in which all students can reach their potential. Todays educationreform movement calls for accountability at every stage of schooling. It affirms higherexpectations for all students and rejects the crippling bigotry of low expectations. It recognizesthe wisdom of State and local control of our schools, and it wisely sees consumer rights ineducation choice as the most important driving force for renewing our schools.

Education is much more than schooling. It is the whole range of activities by which families andcommunities transmit to a younger generation, not just knowledge and skills, but ethical and

behavioral norms and traditions. It is the handing over of a personal and cultural identity. That iswhy education choice has expanded so vigorously. It is also why American education has, for thelast several decades, been the focus of constant controversy, as centralizing forces outside thefamily and community have sought to remake education in order to remake America. They havenot succeeded, but they have done immense damage.

Consumer Choice in Education

The Republican Party is the party of fresh and innovative ideas in education. We support optionsfor learning, including home schooling and local innovations like single-sex classes, full-dayschool hours, and year-round schools. School choice whether through charter schools, open

enrollment requests, college lab schools, virtual schools, career and technical educationprograms, vouchers, or tax credits is important for all children, especially for families withchildren trapped in failing schools. Getting those youngsters into decent learning environmentsand helping them to realize their full potential is the greatest civil rights challenge of our time.We support the promotion of local career and technical educational programs and entrepreneurialprograms that have been supported by leaders in industry and will retrain and retool theAmerican workforce, which is the best in the world. A young persons ability to achieve inschool must be based on his or her God-given talent and motivation, not an address, zip code, oreconomic status.

In sum, on the one hand enormous amounts of money are being spent for K-12 public educationwith overall results that do not justify that spending. On the other hand, the common experienceof families, teachers, and administrators forms the basis of what does work in education. Webelieve the gap between those two realities can be successfully bridged, and CongressionalRepublicans are pointing a new way forward with major reform legislation. We support itsconcept of block grants and the repeal of numerous federal regulations which interfere with Stateand local control of public schools.

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The bulk of the federal money through Title I for low-income children and through IDEA fordisabled youngsters should follow the students to whatever school they choose so that eligiblepupils, through open enrollment, can bring their share of the funding with them. The Republican-founded D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program should be expanded as a model for the rest ofthe country. We deplore the efforts by Congressional Democrats and the current President to kill

this successful program for disadvantaged students in order to placate the leaders of the teachersunions. We support putting the needs of students before the special interests of unions whenapproaching elementary and secondary education reform.

Because parents are a childs first teachers, we support family literacy programs, which improvethe reading, language, and life skills of both parents and children from low-income families. Toensure that all students have access to the mainstream of American life, we support the EnglishFirst approach and oppose divisive programs that limit students ability to advance in Americansociety. We renew our call for replacing family planning programs for teens with abstinenceeducation which teaches abstinence until marriage as the responsible and respected standard ofbehavior. Abstinence from sexual activity is the only protection that is 100 percent effective

against out-of-wedlock pregnancies and sexually-transmitted diseases including HIV/AIDS whentransmitted sexually. It is effective, science-based, and empowers teens to achieve optimal healthoutcomes and avoid risks of sexual activity. We oppose school-based clinics that providereferrals, counseling, and related services for abortion and contraception. We support keepingfederal funds from being used in mandatory or universal mental health, psychiatric, or socio-emotional screening programs.

We applaud Americas great teachers, who should be protected against frivolous litigation andshould be able to take reasonable actions to maintain discipline and order in the classroom. Wesupport legislation that will correct the current law provision which defines a Highly QualifiedTeacher merely by his or her credentials, not results in the classroom. We urge school districts

to make use of teaching talent in business, STEM fields, and in the military, especially amongour returning veterans. Rigid tenure systems based on the last in, first out policy should bereplaced with a merit-based approach that can attract fresh talent and dedication to theclassroom. All personnel who interact with school children should pass background checks andbe held to the highest standards of personal conduct.

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The information below comes directly from the candidates websiteDr. Jill SteinGreen Party@JillStein2012http://www.facebook.com/drjillstein

Residence:Lexington, MA

Marital Status:Married (Richard Rohrer)

Prev. Occupation:Physician, Environmental Activist

Prev. Political Exp.:no prior elected office

Education:MD Harvard University, 1979


Birthplace:Chicago, IL

Religion:Not Stated

No Education issues listed on her website.

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The information below comes directly from the candidates

websiteGovernor Gary JohnsonLibertarian Party@GovGaryJohnson

http://www.facebook.com/govgaryjohnson

Residence:Taos, NM

Marital Status:Engaged (Kate Prusack)

Prev. Occupation:Construction Worker, Businessman

Prev. Political Exp.:NM Governor, 1995-2003

Education:BA University of New Mexico, 1975


Birthplace:Minot, ND

Religion:Lutheran

LOCAL CONTROL MEANS THAT WE ALL WIN.

All parents should have an opportunity to choose which school their children attend. Putting educational funds in the hands of the people who use them gives parents and

students a vote as to which schools are best and which need to improve. Our children deserve the chance to succeed educationally, but the same old way of

thinking won't cut it. It's time to free individuals and states from burdensome federalmandates and regulations so they can pursue the right educational strategies for theirstudents.

End the Department of Education

ALTHOUGH IT MAY SOUND DRASTIC, THERE ARE practical reasons why it should

be considered.

The Department of Education grants each state 11 cents out of every dollar it spends oneducation. Unfortunately, every dollar of this money comes with 16 cents of stringsattached. States that accept federal funding lose five cents for every dollar spent oneducation to pay for federal mandates and regulations, taking millions of dollars out ofthe classroom.

Schools should have the authority to decide how best to spend educational dollars.Without federal regulations and mandates, schools could

choose to purchase new computers, better lab equipment, amaintain after-school sports and music programs even durintimes of tight budgets.

ndg

Once citizens and their local representatives have thefreedom to decide how their educational funds will be spent,they can consider innovations that will drive student choice,educational competition, and better results.

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Voter Registration Information

Each state has different deadlines to register to vote for the 2012 presidentialelection on November 6, 2012. States except North Dakota, Wyoming, and New

Hampshire allow residents to register to vote online.

Register to vote in 3 easy steps!

1. Go to CECs Legislative Action Centerand enter your zip code2. Fill out the form in its entirety and print it

3. Mail it to the address provided

Find your Polling Place

Know where to go to vote on Election Day. Your polling place has been designatedbased on where you live. To find it, follow these steps

1. Go to www.vote411.org2. Type your address into the sidebar on the left for personalized voting

information3. Go vote!

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Education Week: Politics K-12 Bloghttp://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/Education Weeks blog coverage of education in politics

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Voter Resources

Debate Schedulehttp://www.2012presidentialelectionnews.com/2012-debate-schedule/2012-presidential-debate-

schedule/

Schedule of 2012 Presidential Election Debates, including Vice Presidential Debates

Teacher Town Hall

http://www.educationnation.com/index.cfm?objectid=49D84C76-F1F1-11E1-B7FE000C296BA163

Information on upcoming advocacy opportunity for teachers

Voter Registration Deadlines

http://www.longdistancevoter.org/voter_registration_deadlines#.UEduFSIfsq4Deadlines for voter registration and absentee ballot requests

Candidate Websites

Barack Obamawww.barackobama.comwww.democrats.org

Jill Steinwww.jillstein.orgwww.gp.org

Mitt Romneywww.mittromney.comwww.gop.com

Gary Johnsonwww.garyjohnson2012.comwww.lp.org

Party Platforms

Republican National Committee Platformhttp://www.gop.com/2012-republican-platform_home/

Democratic National Committee Platformhttp://www.democrats.org/democratic-national-platform?source=DNC_TW
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/http://localhost/Users/stevenconnolly/Downloads/desktop%20cleaning%20initiative/Debate%20Schedule:%20http:/www.2012presidentialelectionnews.com/2012-debate-schedule/2012-presidential-debate-schedule/http://www.educationnation.com/index.cfm?objectid=49D84C76-F1F1-11E1-B7FE000C296BA163http://www.longdistancevoter.org/voter_registration_deadlines#.UEduFSIfsq4http://www.barackobama.com/http://www.jillstein.org/http://www.mittromney.com/http://www.garyjohnson2012.com/http://www.gop.com/2012-republican-platform_home/http://www.democrats.org/democratic-national-platform?source=DNC_TWhttp://www.democrats.org/democratic-national-platform?source=DNC_TWhttp://www.gop.com/2012-republican-platform_home/http://www.garyjohnson2012.com/http://www.mittromney.com/http://www.jillstein.org/http://www.barackobama.com/http://www.longdistancevoter.org/voter_registration_deadlines#.UEduFSIfsq4http://www.educationnation.com/index.cfm?objectid=49D84C76-F1F1-11E1-B7FE000C296BA163http://localhost/Users/stevenconnolly/Downloads/desktop%20cleaning%20initiative/Debate%20Schedule:%20http:/www.2012presidentialelectionnews.com/2012-debate-schedule/2012-presidential-debate-schedule/http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/

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