Here are a few off-the-top-of-my-head thoughts about John McCain's selection of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate:
1. Clearly he wasn't looking for someone with a national profile on education. That should surprise no one; how many times do we have to stress that this election ain't about schools? Still, it's noteworthy that both Mitt Romney and Tim Pawlenty-the favorites to get the nod-built a strong track record on education. Palin might care about the issue but it's hard to know yet; from the little that I could find it appears that she's fairly conventional on the topic, voicing support for more funding, charter schools, homeschooling, and support for teachers.
2. Don't expect to hear a lot about inner-city schools. Let's see, we have a presidential candidate without much education experience, and a vice presidential candidate from Alaska. I'm not sure either one has had to spend more than 15 minutes thinking about how to handle the challenges of urban schools.
3. Bring on the virtual schools. I've got to believe that a governor of Alaska would see the merits in online schooling. And so does McCain; expanding online learning opportunities is a big part of his education plan.
4. She's a mom. She's got five kids, including a son in the army and another newborn son with Down Syndrome. Might she be active on special education issues? Maybe, but who knows.
