2016 State of the Union address: on Education


Barack Obama: Universal Pre-K and computer science classes on horizon

Real opportunity requires every American to get the education and training they need to land a good-paying job. The bipartisan reform of No Child Left Behind was an important start, we've increased early childhood education, lifted high school graduation rates to new highs, boosted graduates in fields like engineering. In the coming years, we should be providing Pre-K for all and offering every student the hands-on computer science and math classes that make them job-ready on day one.
Source: 2016 State of the Union address to Congress Jan 20, 2016

Barack Obama: Prioritize free community college and reducing student debt

We have to make college affordable for every American. We've already reduced student loan payments to 10 percent of a borrower's income. And that's good. But now, we've actually got to cut the cost of college. Providing two years of community college at no cost for every responsible student is one of the best ways to do that, and I'm going to keep fighting to get that started this year.
Source: 2016 State of the Union address to Congress Jan 20, 2016

Jill Stein: Cancel college debt: it's now $35,000 per student

Another travesty we can fix with the stroke of a pen is the crisis of student debt. Currently 43 million current and former students are locked in debt that they can't repay in the low wage economy--which is here for the foreseeable future. It's unconscionable to allow our younger generation to be the victims of this predatory debt. Average debt for the class of 2015 is over $35,000 per student, and 70% of students are affected.

It's time to bring them back from debt servitude so they can be full participants in our society. It's time to simply cancel this debt, as was done for the Wall Street criminals whose waste, fraud and abuse crashed the economy. We owe our students--the victims of that crash--at least as much.

The bailout for students can be accomplished through quantitative easing, the finance tool used to bail out the banks. This would be a huge stimulus for the economy, as young people are enabled to follow their dreams & re-imagine our future--as every new generation must

Source: Green Party response to 2016 State of the Union speech Jan 12, 2016

Jill Stein: Make public college education free

We must make public higher education free. It pays for itself by a seven fold margin, as we saw with the GI bill following World War II. And it's the right thing to do. Just as a high school education was essential for a young person's economic security in the 20th century, higher education is essential now in the 21st century--and should be provided for free as well.
Source: Green Party response to 2016 State of the Union speech Jan 12, 2016

Jill Stein: Repeal incentives for privatization/charters in NCLB

The assault on public education has also been led by Obama and the Democrats--including the targeted closures of schools in communities of color, high stakes testing abuse, and the demonization of teachers and their unions. Incentives for privatization/ charters built into No Child Left Behind and the Every Child Achieves Act should be repealed. It's time to fully fund public education respect and support our teachers, and to teach to the whole student for lifetime learning.
Source: Green Party response to 2016 State of the Union speech Jan 12, 2016

  • The above quotations are from 2016 State of the Union address to Congress, plus the opposition party responses: Jan. 14, 2016.
  • Click here for definitions & background information on Education.
  • Click here for other issues (main summary page).
  • Click here for more quotes by Barack Obama on Education.
  • Click here for more quotes by Nikki Haley on Education.
2020 Presidential contenders on Education:
  Democrats running for President:
Sen.Michael Bennet (D-CO)
V.P.Joe Biden (D-DE)
Mayor Mike Bloomberg (I-NYC)
Gov.Steve Bullock (D-MT)
Mayor Pete Buttigieg (D-IN)
Sen.Cory Booker (D-NJ)
Secy.Julian Castro (D-TX)
Gov.Lincoln Chafee (L-RI)
Rep.John Delaney (D-MD)
Rep.Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI)
Sen.Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)
Gov.Deval Patrick (D-MA)
Sen.Bernie Sanders (I-VT)
CEO Tom Steyer (D-CA)
Sen.Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)
Marianne Williamson (D-CA)
CEO Andrew Yang (D-NY)

2020 Third Party Candidates:
Rep.Justin Amash (L-MI)
CEO Don Blankenship (C-WV)
Gov.Lincoln Chafee (L-RI)
Howie Hawkins (G-NY)
Gov.Gary Johnson(L-NM)
Howard Schultz(I-WA)
Gov.Jesse Ventura (I-MN) 		Republicans running for President:
Sen.Ted Cruz(R-TX)
Gov.Larry Hogan (R-MD)
Gov.John Kasich(R-OH)
V.P.Mike Pence(R-IN)
Gov.Mark Sanford (R-SC)
Pres.Donald Trump(R-NY)
Rep.Joe Walsh (R-IL)
Gov.Bill Weld(R-MA & L-NY)

2020 Withdrawn Democratic Candidates:
Sen.Stacey Abrams (D-GA)
Mayor Bill de Blasio (D-NYC)
Sen.Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)
Sen.Mike Gravel (D-AK)
Sen.Kamala Harris (D-CA)
Gov.John Hickenlooper (D-CO)
Gov.Jay Inslee (D-WA)
Mayor Wayne Messam (D-FL)
Rep.Seth Moulton (D-MA)
Rep.Beto O`Rourke (D-TX)
Rep.Tim Ryan (D-CA)
Adm.Joe Sestak (D-PA)
Rep.Eric Swalwell (D-CA)
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Page last updated: Dec 03, 2021