John McCain was
born in 1936 and attended the U.S. Naval Academy. He is the son and
grandson of Navy admirals, a decorated Navy pilot himself who spent
five and a half years as a POW in Vietnam. McCain returned to the
United States in March 1973. In 1980 he retired from the Navy and moved
to Arizona, his wife's home state. He was first elected to the U.S.
House in 1982 and served until 1986, when he succeeded retiring Senator
Barry Goldwater. He unsuccessfully ran for the Republican presidential
nomination in 2000. Senator McCain currently chairs the Indian Affairs
Committee and is a member of the Armed Services and Commerce, Science,
& Transportation Committees.(2006 Almanac of American Politics)
At the National Urban League conference, McCain said: "If I am elected President, school choice for all who want it, an expansion of Opportunity Scholarships and alternative certification for teachers will all be part of a serious agenda of education reform. We will pay bonuses to teachers working in our most troubled schools because we need their fine minds and good hearts to help turn those schools around."
When asked about children's poverty and early education opportunities during a town hall in New Orleans, McCain said that "although throwing money into the pot to fix the education system is part of the solution, accountability, responsibility and rewarding of good teachers and choice in competition in my view are also key elements—key elements in improving education in America, including here in the state of Louisiana.”
Videos
John McCain answers a question by a mother with two autistic children about special ed at a Littleton, NH townhall
John McCain answers a question on education at a Plymouth, NH town hall
Campaigns 
