Bradley Keliinoi

Review staff writer

With 11 days until the much anticipated election, students and faculty are continuing to evaluate both presidential candidates’ policies.

On Oct. 21, representatives from the Obama and McCain campaigns were scheduled to speak on behalf of their candidate’s education policies.

Sponsored by the education department, the evening gathering was intended to create a space for students to be informed of their choices in the election, Assistant Professor and Early Education Coordinator Mindy Larson said.

Although Neal Lockhart, Yamhill County chair for the McCain campaign, canceled his appearance because of personal matters, Multnomah County Commissioner Lisa Naito, a volunteer for the Obama campaign, was on-hand to promote Obama’s platform.

She presented Obama as an agent of change who pledges to fund early childhood education with $10 billion each year, to use technology to improve schools, to emphasize greater accountability for teachers and parents and to  reform the No Child Left Behind Act.

“McCain’s campaign is looking at vouchers and charter schools, [which is] a move to privatize education,” Larson said, sharing her own knowledge.

Though Obama and McCain have both put forth detailed policies on Pre-K-12 education, students are perhaps more interested in learning the candidate’s policies on higher education.

With rising college costs and a complicated financial aid system, both contenders offer different solutions.

According to his official Web site, Obama will create the American Opportunity Tax Credit to cover the first $4,000 of a college education for most Americans. He also calls for the elimination of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, replacing it instead with a simple check box on tax forms.

McCain’s Web site put forth a plan to simplify higher education tax benefits to ensure that a greater number of families have a lower tax burden when they are helping to send their children to college.

Like Obama, McCain also calls for a simplified financial aid process but with less specific details as to how he would accomplish it. 

Those interested in learning about the different candidates’ specific policies are encouraged to visit the Web sites of the presidential nominees.