Why it matters:
In 2000, George W. Bush made education reform a centerpiece of his candidacy. In 2001, he signed the sweeping No Child Left Behind Act into law. This reform emphasizes standardized tests and tough-love accountability to force public schools to improve student performance and close the achievement gap between rich and poor students. These measures have not quieted concern about the proper relationship between the federal government and local school districts. And critics complain that these new federal mandates are not fully funded. How Washington should best support public schools remains a contentious question.
Where they stand:
Carol Moseley Braun
Like all of the Democratic candidates, Braun seeks full funding of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, a federal special-education program, and early-intervention programs by 2010, so that school districts and states are not faced with underfunded federal mandates. She is a strong proponent of a federal role for early-childhood education. While in the Senate she advocated federally subsidized school construction in the form of grants to districts with run-down facilities. She would pay for these reforms by increasing the federal share in funding of schools.
George W. Bush
Bush's No Child Left Behind Act mandates rigorous regular testing with detailed information on student performance sent to parents. It offers children the option of transferring to higher-performing local schools, receiving free tutoring, or attending after-school programs if their schools are ruled "failing." Though the bill passed with an overwhelming bipartisan majority, it now faces skeptical scrutiny from local administrators who complain of burdensome provisions and unfunded mandates. Successful implementation remains a challenge.
Wesley Clark
Clark wants to make the first two years of college free for most students while simultaneously restraining spiraling tuition increases. He would provide $20 billion to a "State and Local Rebate" fund for vocation skills and workplace training for students who choose not to go to college. He'd also provide $70 billion toward a universal preschool plan for all 4-year-olds and for 3-year-olds if their parents wanted it. He would target federal funds to focus on teaching reading in the early grades.
Howard Dean
Dean criticizes Bush's No Child Left Behind Act for "rigid and unrealistic mandates, burdensome sanctions, and overreliance on testing." He'd scrap most Bush reforms and develop his own "Success by Six" plan that emphasizes early-childhood education. He would significantly increase federal aid for higher education and pay for it by repealing recent federal tax cuts.
John Edwards
Edwards emphasizes college access and teacher training as the cornerstone of his education platform. He supports a nationwide program that would pay education costs of students who make a five-year commitment to teach in designated areas. He supports proven methods of public school choice. He would expand after-school programs and require states to make it easier to dismiss ineffective teachers. He would provide one year of free tuition to public universities and community colleges to any qualified student and, in return, that student would be required to serve his or her community for an average of 10 hours each week. He voted for the No Child Left Behind Act.
Dick Gephardt
Gephardt proposes a Teacher Corps based on the ROTC program to pay college loans of students who agree to teach in public school for five years. He'd also expand federal grant and loan programs to counter rising college tuition costs, increasing eligibility for financial aid among middle-income families and making the first $10,000 of higher education costs tax-deductible. He favors a major federal role in early-education programs and smaller class sizes. He voted for the No Child Left Behind Act but alleges that the Bush administration has underfunded it. He calls for higher teacher pay within a collective bargaining environment.
John Kerry
Kerry would fully fund federal education mandates at the state and local level. Like all of the Democratic candidates, he strongly supports early education programs and reduced class size, supported by federal funding. Though he voted for it, Kerry pledges to reform the No Child Left Behind Act, by doing away with what he calls a "one-size-fits-all testing mania." He'd triple the current tuition tax credit, to $4,000. Kerry also wants to dedicate federal funding to rebuild crumbling education infrastructure, especially in urban areas, and - like all of the Democratic candidates - consistently supports full funding of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
Dennis Kucinich
Kucinich would expand public education to include prekindergarten for 3-year-olds for any family that wants it, as well as tuition-free college for millions of students. He calls for smaller classes, higher teacher salaries, and better, more practical job training for those not going to college. He would also provide new funding to renovate decaying schools. Kucinich voted for the No Child Left Behind Act.
Joe Lieberman
Lieberman pledges to increase financial aid for higher education by nearly doubling the average Pell grant, a need-based program. He would couple this with special tax relief for middle- and low-income families with children in college. He would require colleges and universities receiving federal funds to report their enrollment and graduation rates, particularly for low-income and minority students. He was a strong supporter of the No Child Left Behind Act, but says Bush has underfunded it by at least $6 billion. He stands out as the only Democratic candidate who endorses charter schools and tuition vouchers to students from low-income families.
Al Sharpton
Sharpton makes a forceful statement for equality in education for all students, and holds that local control of schools necessarily results in separate and unequal education. In fact, he supports amending the US Constitution to make equal education a right. Though not as specific as the other candidates on policy reforms, he offers a general statement of educational philosophy: "The role of government is not to select which students we're going to try to help. The role of government is to help all students become well-educated and have access to equal quality education.
