I’ve been intrigued these last several weeks by the ongoing references to “kitchen table” issues made in the media covering the Presidential Race and two recent national conventions.  I am often left with the impression that many members of the media establishment believe themselves to be living in a state of “higher enlightenment” when it comes to issues political.  I am now convinced, more than ever, that the majority of journalists, reporters and commentators covering this “event” in our nation’s history have no idea what is actually happening in the homes across America.

So, I’ve decided to do some research. I’m going to share the information with my children as a part of our Social Studies work this year. Children are amazingly capable of seeing into the heart of a matter.

Since we have only two mainstream choices this year, my research will focus on how these two candidates “say” they feel about certain issues, and what their experience in their chosen fields tells us. I’m going to try to make this a weekly activity, but we all know real life will get in way occasionally.

This week’s kitchen table topic is education. What do John McCain and Barak Obama say about education, and what are their plans? Well, you can read about John McCain’s thoughts on his official web site. Then you can read Obama’s comments on his web site.

How do they stack up? Let’s focus on K-12.

Well, one candidate believes that everyone is entitled to a good education with 100% support of the public. He believes that ultimately a child’s education, and the manner in which it is provided, should be parental issues and that it’s okay to have other educational options available. He has included reference to Public, Private, Charter, and home schools in his discussion. There is an underlying assumption on his part that parents will, by the very nature of their relationship to their children, seek out the best that is available for their children, within their circumstances. I would like to believe this to be true of all parents.

The other candidate’s statements seem to indicate that he favors more governmental authority overseeing the overall educational process. He does not make any reference on his main issue page to education forums other than public. Therefore, we can not know (on the surface) his thoughts or intentions regarding alternative education strategies. There is contained in his statement the underlying suggestion that parent’s have few if any rights to determine the nature and manner of their child’s education.

Sadly, the issue of education is so complex that a broad brush approach to the problem(s) only covers it up. Eventually though, the paint starts to peel away and we’re left with the same fundamental issues. Citizens of our nation range greatly in their thoughts on this issue. From one extreme to the other, we have children for whom a meal – let alone and education – is hard to attain. At the other end of the spectrum, we have children for whom parents spend untold hours in the attaining of a quality education. In my humble opinion, a plan that addresses the problems inherent in the current public education system, that also addresses the need for education alternatives based on the diversity of our citizens, would provide for the greatest opportunity for the children of America. Now, who’s suggesting that plan? You’ll have to figure it out.