Fact Check: Does McCain plan no education reform outside of D.C.?

Would McCain's education program only help those in D.C.?.

The Statement:

At a presidential debate Wednesday, Oct. 15, in Hempstead, New York, Democratic nominee Sen. Barack Obama criticized Republican opponent Sen. John McCain's education proposals. "The centerpiece of Senator McCain's education policy is to increase the voucher program in D.C. by 2,000 slots," Obama said. "That leaves all of you who live in the other 50 states without an education reform
policy from Senator McCain."

Get the facts!

The Facts:

McCain supports providing government money in the form of school vouchers to parents seeking to send their children to private schools. He proposes expanding what's called The D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program, which currently provides vouchers for more than 1,900 students in the nation's
capital. The children's families have an average annual income of $23,000, according to McCain's campaign Web site, and another 7,000 have applied. He proposes increasing funds for the program from $13 million to $20 million, opening it to roughly 1,000 more families.

McCain's other proposals for education, as detailed on his campaign Web site,include expanding funding for at least one Head Start center in each state. Head Start is a program designed to help at-risk students get an early start on their education. McCain also proposes requiring all federally supported preschools to offer comprehensive teaching in subjects including literacy, math readiness and social skills.

The site says McCain would devote a set percentage of funding to states to recruit top teachers, provide bonuses to teachers who move to underperforming schools, give principals more control over spending and invest in online education.

The Verdict:

False. While education has been less prominent than issues like the economy and the war in Iraq in both candidate's campaigns, McCain has several education proposals other than school vouchers.