On Education, Obama Gets a Rare Response: GOP Praise

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Jan. 28) -- For all of the partisan rancor surrounding President Barack Obama's State of the Union address, there was one domestic area where the president could claim legitimate bipartisan achievement: education.

During his first year in office, Obama has drawn praise from conservatives like former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush for his approach to improving the nation's schools. The administration's centerpiece initiative, a program called Race to the Top, has been lauded by some reform activists for injecting competition into the federal grant process. It also has been credited with nudging states to adopt higher standards and more accountability for schools.

It was no surprise, then, that at a time when the White House is trying to renew its cross-party appeal, Obama chose to devote a significant chunk of his speech to education. And it was a rare issue that escaped withering criticism in most Republican responses.

"This year, we have broken through the stalemate between left and right by launching a national competition to improve our schools," the president said. "The idea here is simple: Instead of rewarding failure, we only reward success. Instead of funding the status quo, we only invest in reform -- reform that raises student achievement, inspires students to excel in math and science, and turns around failing schools that steal the future of too many young Americans, from rural communities to inner-cities.

"In the 21st century, one of the best anti-poverty programs is a world-class education," Obama continued, drawing an ovation from both sides of the aisle.

Trying to build on his first year, Obama is proposing an increase in federal education spending of up to $4 billion, or 6 percent -- a significant boost considering the administration has called for a three-year freeze in non-security discretionary spending for the government overall.

Education Secretary Arne Duncan told reporters before the speech that the 6 percent increase for education was "extraordinary" in the context of the austere fiscal environment. He characterized it as a victory for the department in the never-ending battle for priorities in an administration. "You're not seeing that happen anywhere else," Duncan said of the increase, calling it a "huge commitment."

In the official Republican response to the State of the Union, Virginia's new governor, Robert McDonnell, highlighted the GOP's agreement with Obama on education, making no mention of policy differences.

"The president and I agree on expanding the number of high-quality charter schools and rewarding teachers for excellent performance," McDonnell said. "More school choices for parents and students mean more accountability and greater achievement."

Two senior Republican congressmen also praised the education portion of Obama's speech. The ranking Republican on the House Education and Labor Committee, Rep. John Kline of Minnesota, said Obama and Duncan "have indicated a surprising willingness to take on education special interests."

Rep. Michael Castle, R-Del., said he had "every intention" of working with the administration on further reforms, including the reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act.

Much of the GOP support for Obama's education initiatives stems from the administration's apparent willingness to buck traditional Democratic allies like the teachers' unions in calling for an expansion of charter schools and "pay for performance" in teacher compensation. The administration has been able to hold the support from the Democratic base because of its pledges to dramatically increase federal spending on schools. The stimulus package alone contained more than $100 billion for education initiatives, including the "Race to the Top" program and aid to states to prevent teachers from being laid off.

Joel Packer, director of the Committee for Education Funding, said the Obama administration's first-year record was "overall positive." But Packer indicated the bipartisan nature of Obama's achievements could easily be overstated -- after all, most Republicans opposed the stimulus bill that created "Race to the Top," along with a key Obama proposal to end private lending for college loans.

The American Federation of Teachers offered a muted reaction to Obama's speech. "In these tough times, we appreciate that President Obama is trying to shield children from budget cuts that affect their schools," the union's president, Randi Weingarten, said in a statement.

Some reform activists criticized the administration for not going far enough. The president of the Washington-based Center for Education Reform, Jeanne Allen, praised the Obama team for its willingness to say the nation's education system is in a crisis and for its early steps to inject competition into federal funding formulas.

"I know he believes in a lot of the important things that we believe in," she said.

But Allen said the administration has softened as it has engaged the unions and other Democratic interest groups, arguing that, for example, many of the changes that states made for "Race to the Top" would have little effect.

Allen was also sharply critical of the administration's decision to trumpet an increase in education funding. "Money is not the only solution," she said, adding that it was "not only a distraction but it delays real and meaningful reform at the state and local level."

Other aspects of the president's education agenda have also drawn criticism. Many Republicans oppose his plan to have college loans offered to students directly by the federal government rather than private companies like banks. And a few states, most notably Texas, have refused to apply for "Race to the Top" funding because, they argue, it infringes on local control of schools.

But in such a charged political environment, Obama can probably take solace that the GOP criticism appears, at least for now, to be the exception rather than the rule.