Dodd and student loans

The Connecticut senator already has said he favors free community college for all. But what about the costs of higher ed for students who want more?

Higher Ed Watch is giving kudos to Dodd for his Banking Committee's recent approval of a bill that would require lenders to inform applicants if lower-cost federal student loans are available to them. The group, a branch of the "post-partisan" New America Foundation, calls the legislation a positive first step toward making sure college students don't overburden themselves with loans.

In other ed news, Dodd doesn't get much mainstream media loving, what with Obama and Clinton ruling the roost. But if you're really interested in his thoughts about various education issues, you might check out On the Issues, a blog that tracks his answers to the questions he's been posed during the campaign and even before that.

-- Jeff Solochek

Dodd: The K-12 plan

Yesterday, Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd was all about higher education. Today, he focused on the younger set.

In comments to the New Hampshire National Education Association (watch the video here), Dodd laid out his main platform for K-12. He wants universal preschool for low- and middle-income children and big bonuses for teachers who commit to "high-needs" schools for at least five years. He also called for changes to the way teachers get certified and the way kids' achievement is measured.

To read more, check out this Associated Press report in Ed Week. To read the campaign press release, click here. To visit the campaign web site, click here.

As for me, I'm Jeff Solochek, education reporter and blogger at the St. Petersburg Times in Florida. I've agreed to collect Senator Dodd's comments about education issues for you. Look for more later. And if you have questions or suggestions, please e-mail me at solochek@sptimes.com.

Chris Dodd: 'Community college for all'

No American should be denied a college education because of cost. So says Sen. Chris Dodd, the Connecticut Democrat who remains at the fringes of the Dem field.

Dodd released his higher education platform today (view his comments here) at the New Hampshire Community-Technical College in Manchester, NH. Here's what he wants to do (in the word of his press release):

• Ending Corporate Welfare on Student Loans: The Dodd Plan will end the outdated corporate subsidies for banks and increase competition for lower interest rates on student loans by requiring banks to compete in a federally run auction to offer federal student loans. Excessive profits at the expense of the taxpayer will be eliminated and redirected to student aid so that college is more affordable for young Americans and their families.
• Community College for All: The Dodd plan will partner with states to subsidize in-state tuition at public community colleges for students earning credit towards an associate’s degree. The Dodd plan will match dollar for dollar any tuition reduction offered by the state. Under this plan community college can be free for every American.
• Raising the Pell Grant: The Dodd plan will increase the Pell Grant by $100 each year to ensure that qualified, hard working low- and moderate-income students can afford college without taking out an exorbitant amount of student loans. In a Dodd Administration, students will not be shut out of college because of cost.
• Putting a Spotlight on the Skyrocketing Cost of Tuition: A Dodd Administration will use the power of the Presidency to bring to light schools whose tuition unreasonably outpaces inflation. By annually publishing a tuition inflation index and a list of colleges and universities whose tuition exceeds it, Chris Dodd believes we can provide students and families with a better idea of how much they can expect to pay for higher education while encouraging schools to act responsibly.
• Protecting Students from Unscrupulous Lenders: President Dodd will continue his leadership on this issue by extending new protections to private student loans in order to improve transparency, prevent unfair and deceptive private lending practices and eliminate conflicts of interest.

Dodd plans to release his K-12 platform tomorrow at the New Hampshire NEA meeting.

Photo credit: Stamford, Conn., Democrats

The public wants to know about education

The two-hour Democratic presidential debate last night didn't include the depth of questions posted to YouTube. It's a shame because obviously, the public wants to know the candidates' stands on education.

The first education question posed was a lighter one: who is your favorite teacher?


The next one asked the candidates about their position on No Child Left Behind, complete with musical score.

New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson said he would scrap it. Delaware Sen. Joe Biden said he thought the law was fundamentally flawed. Unfortunately, none of the other candidates were asked about the law and neither of the two leading candidates, New York Sen. Hillary Clinton and Illinois Sen. Barack Obama addressed it. Connecticut Sen. Christopher Dodd, however, returned to the question later and said the law needs to be improved, not scrapped. "You measure growth in a child. You invest in failing schools. But I would not scrap it entirely. Accountability is very important in this country. We ought not to abandon that idea," he said.


The next questioner asked the candidates whether they sent their children to public or private school. Sen. Hillary Clinton pointed out that while Chelsea attended private school in Washington, D.C., she attended public ones in Arkansas.


Finally the candidates were asked about sex education and how early it should begin, perhaps because of the controversy over Illinois Senator Barack Obama's stance that sex education should begin early. Obama noted that it was important for children to learn that people should not touch them inappropriately.


Despite the number of submissions dealing with college affordability (see previous post), the subject was not raised at all. So even though education is on the public's mind, it doesn't seem to be on the minds of CNN officials screening the questions and very little pressure was put on the top Democratic candidates to address a key issue during the debate.