A Presidential Platform. Part 1 Education

Education:
#1 As a teacher I can see the possibilities with No Child Left Behind Act. However, it fails to create a fair way to judge failing schools from one state to another. It also fails to account for those schools that are made up of ESL (English Second Language) students from a wide variety of languages.
The fix- The federal gov’t will pay for schools to use one of the two national standardized tests, the ITBS or the Stanford Achievement. In this way we can see from a local, state, and national level which schools really are failing versus just not being as advanced as others.

#2 As I mentioned in my E-Rate article, reform the dispersement method of the 1.65 billion available annually.

#3 Federally back bond money for the replacement/remodeling of outdated school buildings. Many schools can’t afford regular interest rates due to poor taxation situations. By having the bonds federally backed a much lower interest rate can be secured saving taxpayers millions.

#4 The creation of a nationwide learning readiness exam that all all kindergartners would take before enrolling and pass at a certain level. Too many of our kids are not ready for kindergarten putting them behind others and leaving them in a permanent catch up situation.
(My ideal situation would be delaying kindergarten until 6years old. My personal experience is that students who had to wait an extra year to start school are always at the top of their class academically).

#5 100% Tuition tax write-off for both private schools and colleges. Choice is a basic democratic tenant, and it should be supported in a fair manner by the federal government.
Our society will require an ever-increasing need for college graduates, whether it be academic or trade schools. The government should recognize and assist financially in a fair method to all.

#6 Those who pay back their student loans should receive a positive credit rating for completing their financial obligation. Currently, only negative reports are given to credit reporting bureaus.