U.S. Republican presidential candidate, Senator John McCain, speaks during a campaign rally in Kalamazoo, Michigan, January 14, 2008. At the rally, McCain told Scholastic News Kid Reporter Maeve Hammond he would support reauthorization of No Child Left Behind legislation when it comes up for a vote in 2009.
©Shannon Stapleton/Reuters

John McCain
John McCain believes in school choice—a system that allows parents to choose which schools their children will attend. Americans shouldn’t be forced to send their children to failing schools, he says.


As President, McCain says he will hold America’s teachers and schools more accountable. Schools should be required to publicly report their progress, and they should compete for the best and brightest teachers. McCain would reward teachers based on their performance in the classroom.

As Senator, McCain voted for the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001. NCLB requires public schools to meet certain test standards before receiving federal funds. While McCain has acknowledged that NCLB isn’t perfect, he has called it a good beginning. McCain praised the law for enabling education officials to compare test scores from school to school and from state to state.