Eddie is watching Colorado, but as you know, sometimes I watch bigger events, too. Take for example last night’s vice presidential debate. I have to say from the perspective of reforming schools and helping kids, neither candidate’s answer was very encouraging.

First, Sarah Palin:

…I say, too, with education, America needs to be putting a lot more focus on that and our schools have got to be really ramped up in terms of the funding that they are deserving….

Okay, but how would you help parents with more choices and opportunities? More accountability for schools?

Education credit in American has been in some sense in some of our states just accepted to be a little bit lax and we have got to increase the standards. No Child Left Behind was implemented. It’s not doing the job though. We need flexibility in No Child Left Behind. We need to put more of an emphasis on the profession of teaching….

Greg Forster is down on Sarah Palin’s education reform remarks, and her record.

Then there was Joe Biden:

…I hope we’ll get back to education because I don’t know any government program that John is supporting, not early education, more money for it. The reason No Child Left Behind was left behind, the money was left behind, we didn’t fund it. We can get back to that I assume.

That could have been written by a National Education Association lobbyist.

Education is a backseat issue in this national election, but as I pointed out before, there are five good things the next president (and vice-president) can do to advance school reform. If this is the best Palin and Biden can do, let’s just say I’m not too impressed.