During his campaign for the presidency, President Barack Obama made many promises regarding education reform measures that would be taken once he took office. So far, the President has wasted no time in making good on his promises. Starting from the bottom up, President Obama has included education reform measures ranging from pre-school through to college.

Early Childhood Education Reform

With the recently passed stimulus package, President Obama has included $5 billion to go toward early education efforts. The funding is intended to provide the states with the funding they need to start the early childhood education programs they have been struggling to get started. Namely, the funding will go toward Head Start programs, which assist low-income firs time parents with getting their children properly prepared for school. President Obama is also working toward increasing the amount of federal support provided to “Early Learning Challenge” grants to further help states develop and strengthen their early education programs.

Improving Performance From Grade School Through High School

President Obama is also proposing numerous initiatives that are in striking contrast with the traditionally Democratic views. Namely, the President is looking into expanding charter school opportunities while also developing a merit pay system for teachers. Furthermore, he intends to develop a system that will result in the removal of teachers who are ineffective with their practices.

“Too many supporters of my party have resisted the idea of rewarding excellence in teaching with extra pay, even though we know it can make a difference,” President Obama is quoted as saying.

To that end, President Obama has challenged the states to develop standards that are tougher yet clearer than the ones that are currently in place. Furthermore, he encouraged the states to develop standards that don’t “simply measure whether a student can fill in bubbles on a test but whether they posses 21st century skills like problem-solving and critical thinking, entrepreneurship and creativity.”

To help make this possible, President Obama pledged to provide funding for the No Child Left Behind Law, which set many high standards for schools but failed to provide them with the funding to implement those changes.

Providing College Assistance

In addition to increasing early childhood opportunities, President Obama has also taken steps to expand the amount of college aid available to those who wish to pursue a higher education. Over the next five years, the new stimulus package will be providing $2.5 billion in additional college assistance. By providing this extra aid, President Obama hopes to “once again” put American ahead of other countries in terms of having the highest proportion of college graduates. Currently, Norway leads the world in this area.

To assist with this process, President Obama has increased the maximum Pell Grant amount to $5,500 per year. In addition, he is committed to providing a $2,500 tax credit to college students who are part of a working family.