Words: Obama calls for a sense of urgency about improving our education system and that there should be incentives, including higher pay, for increasing the number and quality of teachers. He argues that “No Child Left behind” is under-funded and supports summer learning opportunities for the disadvantaged.

Actions: Obama voted FOR funding local educational agencies (2005) and FOR funding after-school programs (2005). The NEA has given him a rating of 100%.

UPDATE: Sen. Barack Obama talks about the empathy deficit and how literacy and reading can help.

Barack Obama speaks at the Yearly Kos 2007 convention on the issue of science literacy, funding the NSF and NIH, and K-12 Science Education.

More about: Barack Obama, Education.