BUSH: I believe accountability encourages parental involvement. We need to say to people that if you cannot meet standards, there has to be a consequence, instead of the soft bigotry of low expectations. One of the
consequences is we allow parents to have choices.
GORE: I see a day where there are no failing schools; where the classrooms are small enough so the teacher can spend one-on-one time with each student. That means recruiting teachers. It means hiring
bonuses to get 100,000 new teachers in the next four years. It means helping with interest-free bonding authority, so that we can build new schools and modernize classrooms. I want to give every middle class family a $10,000 deduction for college tuition
to send their kids to college. If a school is failing, we work with the states to give them the authority and resources to close down that school and reopen it with a new principal, a new faculty.
building on existing proposals to improve failing schools.
Source: The Economist, “Issues 2000”
Sep 30, 2000
$170B on education over next 10 years
“Getting a diploma is not the end of an education, but just the beginning. We need to make college education and skill training available for a lifetime.” Gore hopes to prevail with proposals to make up to $10,000 in tuition expenses tax deductible. Also
included in the $170 billion additional federal spending for education over 10 years, is a 401(k)-styled system letting parents -- and working professionals eyeing advanced degrees -- a tax-free, inflation-protected nest egg for tuition.
Source: AP Story, NY Times
Sep 13, 2000
Voluntary school prayer is ok, if teachers aren’t involved
Gore was asked what he could do as president to bring prayer back to the classroom. After joking that there would always be prayer in schools as long as there are arithmetic tests, Gore said that “in some school
settings the impression is given that it’s wrong if a student wants to exercise or display his or her faith or engage in a truly voluntary prayer that the school employees have nothing to do with.”
Supreme Court prohibitions against organized school prayer, he said, have sometimes been “taken to an extreme that actually discriminates against some people of faith who wish to bring faith into their school life.”
Source: Kevin Sack, NY Times
Sep 12, 2000
Large federal role in education, including tax deductions
Gore calls for a $115 billion public education investment plan paid out of a trust fund and with 10 percent of the federal budget surplus. Rather than deny funding to lagging schools, says they should be shut down and reopened under new administrations.
He is opposed to vouchers. Gore has also proposed initiatives to help families pay their education and job training costs, including tax deductions for college tuition; Life-Long Learning investment accounts, and a National Tuition Savings Program.
Source: Ian Christopher McCaleb, CNN
Sep 11, 2000
Agrees with unions against vouchers; disagrees on testing
Gore has hewed close to the needs and desires of teachers. If Gore wins, there will be a payoff for teachers unions. “They get a president who’s probably going to veto any bill that has the slightest hint of a voucher program in it,” [a policy expert]
said. “They’re going to get a president who’s probably going to propose new spending programs on education.”[In the Iowa primaries], Gore said that he would propose testing all new teachers and allow schools to hire teachers based on their expertise,
without regard to seniority. Both ideas have long been anathema to the unions. NEA officials insist that they support testing of new teachers, but not existing ones, and in April the AFT proposed a national test for new teachers.
In May, Gore served
up two more controversial ideas: setting standards for teacher tenure based partly on student performance and giving bonuses to good teachers based in part on student performance.
Source: Jill Zuckman, , Boston Globe, p. A10
Jun 3, 2000
Encourage after-school with tax credits & funds for schools
Gore’s “New Family Agenda” includes an after-school initiative which would make use of more than 500 additional hours in summer and after-school time in order to: - Expand 21st century learning centers to provide after-school programs.
Provide after-school & summer school to 5 million young people and give students extra help to meet high standards. Every child in a failing school will get extra after-school help while their school is being turned around.
- Offer parents a new
after-school tax credit. Offer up to a 50% refund via an After-School Tax Credit (ASTC) for families with children age six to 16.
- Challenge every school to stay open late, & help equip them to do so.
- Assure high quality after-school
programs. A new After-School Quality Fund would help recruit and train quality staff for after-school programs. Gore’s investments would also help expand after-school and mentoring programs such as the YMCA and Big Brothers/Big Sisters.
Source: Press Release “After-School Initiatives”
May 25, 2000
Seeks transformation of educational system in 4 years
By the end of the next Presidential term, parents across the country ought to be able to choose the best public school for their children. By the end of the next Presidential term, every failing school in this nation should be turned around -- or shut
down and reopened under new leadership. By the end of the next Presidential term, we should have a fully-qualified, well-trained teacher in every single classroom, everywhere in America. By the end of the next Presidential term, all states should make
sure that every high school graduate has mastered the basics of reading and math -- so that a high school diploma really means something. This is my goal: by the year 2005, every state working to close the achievement gap between
children from different backgrounds; rich and poor; urban, suburban, and rural. A school system that holds every student, every school, and every state accountable for real results.
Source: Speech to National Conference of Black Mayors, Dallas TX
Apr 28, 2000
Stress early learning, small classes, & classroom technology
My education plan begins with a 50% increase in our national commitment to education. My plan makes high-quality pre-school universally available -- because research shows that early learning is vital to
success in later grades and later life. My education plan invests in smaller schools and smaller classes - because we know that is one of the most effective ways to improve student performance. My education plan rebuilds and
modernizes 6,000 public schools buildings across America -- because you can’t get a 21st Century education in a 19th Century classroom. My education plan puts computers in every classroom, and uses
new technology to tailor learning to each child’s pace and needs. In this Information Age, it is foolish to be bound by a one-size-fits-all curriculum.
Source: Speech to National Conference of Black Mayors, Dallas TX
Apr 28, 2000
5-point plan: High school exit exams; focus on character
Al Gore today detailed a five-point plan to hold states and schools accountable for helping students from all backgrounds reach high academic standards:- TURNS AROUND FAILING SCHOOLS: Help states and school districts identify failing schools; if
a school does not make significant progress after two years, it would be closed down and reopened.
- EXPANDS PUBLIC SCHOOL CHOICE: More choice and competition within the public school system.
- PROMOTES HIGH SCHOOL EXIT EXAMS: Help reduce dropout rate;
and ensure that high school students can read and do math at high school levels before graduating.
- REWARDS SUCCESS, INSISTS ON CONSEQUENCES FOR FAILURE: Provide clear financial incentives for states that successfully improve student achievement.
- FOCUSES ON DISCIPLINE, CHARACTER AND SAFETY: create second-chance schools; afternoon schools for teens; and smaller class sizes.
Source: Press release for Conference of Black Mayors
Apr 28, 2000
Focus on discipline, character and safety in schools
Gore’s education plan calls for a renewed focus on discipline, character and safety in schools. Gore would create second-chance schools where children headed for trouble, and those caught with guns, could receive the strict discipline and
intensive services they need. Under a Gore administration more children would have a place to learn in the afternoon hours when most juvenile crime, teen pregnancy, alcohol and drug use occur.
Source: Press release for Conference of Black Mayors
Apr 28, 2000
Highlights of 10-year $115B education program
Some highlights of Gore’s education proposal, totaling $115 billion over ten years:- Continue Clinton administration program to reduce class sizes by hiring 100,000 new teachers. So far, 30,000 have been hired.
- $50 billion for states to offer
free or subsidized preschool to every 4-year old and some 3-year-olds.
- Expand Head Start enrollment to more than 1 million, from 877,000.
- Give raises of as much as $5,000 to qualifying teachers in poor and rural areas, and an extra $5,000 in
pay to “master teachers” who meet higher standards.
- Recruit more teachers by offering scholarships to 60,000 college students each year who agree to teach in high-poverty schools, and bonuses to mid-career professionals who become
teachers.
- Offer federal tax credits and other incentives to spur construction and modernization of schools. (Cost is not included in $115 billion overall price tag).
Source: Washington Post, p. A6
Apr 2, 2000
“Revolutionary plan”: 50% more for public schools
He’s the only Democratic candidate to make education a priority. Al Gore. A revolutionary plan to improve our public schools by increasing our commitment to education by over 50 percent.
Universal pre-school. Smaller class sizes. Higher standards. Teacher training. Modernize schools and connect every classroom to the Internet.
Source: Television advertisement in NH & Iowa
Jan 13, 2000
$5B/year for universal preschool for 3- & 4-year-olds
Gore sketched a 10-year, $50 billion proposal for a “universal preschool initiative that will make high-quality preschool available to every 4-year-old in America and expand coverage to 3-year-olds.” Gore continued, “Most learning takes place in the
first few years of life, and if kids get off to a good start before they ever get to kindergarten, the chances for them to succeed in life, to have good jobs, to lead fulfilling lives, is greatly enhanced.” Federal matching grants to the states would
allow 4-year-olds greater access to preschool, Gore said. And with some parents sure not to take advantage of the opportunity, the leftover money could be used for programs for 3-year-olds.
The Gore campaign said that what he proposed was different from a voucher system, because it would give money not to individual families but to the states, which would run the program.
Source: Boston Globe, p. A22
Dec 23, 1999
Hire 2M teachers over next 10 years
We need 2.2 million new teachers over the next ten years. I propose the 21st Century Teacher Corps with $10,000 hiring bonuses for young people,
and $10,000 bonuses for mid-career professionals to join the teaching profession. I think that we ought to devote more of our national income to education reform.
Source: Town Hall Meeting, Nashua NH
Dec 18, 1999
Make schools violence-free and drug-free
Gore has called for more character education and discipline in our schools. He has called for strong national measures to break up violent teen gangs and keep guns and drugs off the streets and away from schools. He has worked to put more drug counselors
and violence prevention coordinators in public schools. And he has championed quality after-school care, to give children safe, supervised places to go during the afternoon hours when most juvenile crime takes place.
Source: (Cross-ref from Education) www.AlGore2000.com/issues/educate
Jun 14, 1999
Connect every school to the Internet
Together with President Clinton, Gore set a national goal of connecting every classroom and library in the US to the Internet--and fought for the passage of deep discounts to make Internet access affordable for the every school and library in the nation.
Already, we are halfway toward achieving that goal. Al Gore is working toward a 21st Century where a child can reach across a computer keyboard and read any book ever written, see any painting ever painted, and hear any symphony ever composed.
Source: www.AlGore2000.com/issues/technolo.html 5/16/99
May 16, 1999
Al Gore on Accountability
Investment in public education; with testing & local control
Q: What is your education plan?GORE: I strongly support local control. I’m in favor of testing as a way of measuring performance. We’ve got to recruit 100,000 new teachers, and I have budgeted for that. We’ve got to reduce the class. We ought to have
universal preschool. And we ought to make college tuition tax deductible up to $10,000 a year. I want the federal government, consistent with local control and new accountability, to make improvement of our schools the number one priority.
Source: Presidential debate, Boston MA
Oct 3, 2000
Stress accountability; close the “achievement gap”
[I stress] five key areas of accountability:- turn around failing schools
- expand public school choice
- measure the progress of our high schools
- increase discipline & safety in our schools
- and hold states & schools accountable for closing
the achievement gap.
These reforms will not be easy or inexpensive. But all of my accountability proposals have the same fundamental purpose: to boost student achievement, close the achievement gap in our schools, & make sure no child is left behind.
Source: Speech to National Conference of Black Mayors, Dallas TX
Apr 28, 2000
Supports Goals 2000 & standards-based movement
Q: Should federal money be linked to how well students perform on national or statewide tests? A: I believe that federal money should be used to reward success and to support what works. I am pleased to note the success of the
standards-based movement; with the help of our Goals 2000 program, today 48 states have developed standards for student performance. I believe we should invest more in all our public schools, which is why I have proposed an
additional $115 billion over 10 years to support education initiatives from preschool to college. But we cannot tolerate failing schools either. Every state and every school district should be required to identify failing schools and work to turn them
around-with strict accountability for results and strong incentives for success. And if these failing schools don’t improve quickly, they should be shut down and re-opened with new leadership and a full peer evaluation of every teacher.
Source: Associated Press
Feb 23, 2000
$10K “Teacher Corps” bonus; hire & test teachers
At a commencement speech at Graceland College, Gore called for:- Hiring 2.2 million new teachers, while making them pass tough tests;
- A new teacher corps offering $10,000 to go to college to become a teacher and a $10,000 bonus to switch from
other professions;
- Expanding pre-school and after-school programs;
- Toughening states’ teacher licensing;
- Promoting special “second-chance schools” for troubled youngsters;
- Expanding family leave so parents could become more involved.
Source: Boston Globe, p. A12, “Gore details plan”
May 17, 1999
Test teachers; remove failing tenured teachers
Every new teacher should pass a rigorous test before they set foot in the classroom-a test that measures their knowledge of the subject they will teach. The granting of a teaching license should be followed by rigorous performance evaluations. And every
5 years, those evaluations should be used to determine whether a license is renewed. No teaching license should be a lifetime job guarantee. I urge faster but fair ways to identify, improve-and when necessary-remove low-performing teachers.
Source: Commencement address: Graceland College, Iowa
May 16, 1999
End social promotion; turn around failing schools
He believes we must end social promotion in America, so no one graduates with a diploma he or she can barely even read. He believes in special measures to turn around failing schools--and ending the use of unqualified teachers, some of whom are teaching
in areas they didn’t even study. He believes in discipline and character education, and an emphasis on community service in our schools.
Source: www.AlGore2000.com/issues/educate.html 5/15/99
May 15, 1999
Al Gore on College
$36B for tuition after saving Medicare & Social Security
Gore told an audience that he hoped to boost college attendance and graduation rates by making college tuition tax-deductible, giving tax credits and deductions for college savings and keeping interest rates low for student loans. The full tuition
strategy could cost the government as much as $36 billion. Immediate preservation of the Social Security and Medicare programs would ensure that education stayed a viable government priority leading into the next decade and beyond.
Source: CNN.com
Sep 8, 2000
More resources for education: tax breaks for college
Learning is the key [to maintaining the new economy]. That means education must command more of our attention, more of our time, and more of our resources. So together, let’s open the doors of learning to all. Let’s raise college attendance rates to
record levels-by making most college tuition tax deductible. Let’s help middle-class families save for college, tax-free and inflation-free, with a national tuition savings program. And let’s keep interest rates low, so student loans are more affordable.
Source: Speech, “Prosperity For America’s Families,” Cleveland, OH
Sep 6, 2000
Make saving and borrowing for college easier
Education is the ticket to economic prosperity. A college graduate earns $600,000 more in a lifetime than a high school graduate. Jobs that require a college degree are growing twice as fast as others.- Make college
tuition more affordable by making it tax deductible
- Make saving for college easier
- Create a National College Tuition Savings Plan
- Reduce interest rates for student loans
- Build on the Clinton-Gore College Opportunity Initiatives
Source: 191-page economic plan, “Prosperity for American Families”
Sep 6, 2000
Make college tuition tax-deductible
This nation was a pioneer of universal public education. Let’s set a specific new goal for the first decade of the 21st Century: high-quality universal pre-school - available to every child, in every family, all across this country.
We also have to give middle-class families help in paying for college with tax-free college savings, and by making most college tuition tax-deductible. Open the doors of learning to all.
Source: Speech to the 2000 Democratic National Convention
Aug 18, 2000
Reduce class sizes; make college savings plans
I want to bring revolutionary change to our schools. I want to reduce class sizes not just in the early grades, but in all grades. I want to work with parents and teachers to use new technology to tailor learning to each child. I want to make it easier
for parents to save for their children’s college tuition -- tax-free and inflation-free. And I believe teachers should be treated like professionals - I want to improve teacher quality, and lift up America’s teachers.
Source: Women for Gore speech, Washington DC
Jun 1, 1999
National Tuition Savings program to send kids to college
I propose a National Tuition Savings program [which] let families invest their money in special accounts, which grow tax-free. We should allow each parent’s savings to be used in any participating state, and use incentives to encourage states that do not
have the programs to create them. Under this plan, if you make small, regular contributions to the program after your child’s birth, you’ll be able to afford college tuition - with protection from taxes, inflation, and rising college costs.
Source: Commencement address: Graceland College, Iowa
May 16, 1999
More student loans & grants; make 2 years of college free
Al Gore has worked to expand student loans and lower their cost to students; to create HOPE Scholarship tax credits, to make the first two years of college virtually free for every American; to expand Pell Grants for needy students to attend college; and
to defend these crucial priorities when some in Congress tried to block or cut them. Al Gore believes that in the knowledge-based economy of the 21st Century, everyone who is willing to work for it must have the chance to go to college.
Source: www.AlGore2000.com/issues/educate.html 5/15/99
May 15, 1999
Al Gore on School Choice
Bush’s vouchers are “educational roulette”
Gore said Bush’s voucher plan would make Washington “a national private school headmaster.” Because not all students would receive help from vouchers, the plan amounts to “education roulette,” he said. Gore also made his first remarks about a study
released this week by the RAND Corporation, that speculated that the state test scores might have been artificially inflated by, among other things, a practice known as teaching to the test, or drilling that helps students prepare for specific types
of questions but does not result in real learning.
Gore said, “We cannot afford to teach kids how to take a state test while leaving them with serious learning deficits. We cannot afford that kind of short-sighted shortcut in
education policy.” Gore said practices like teaching to the test “might elevate the reputations of school administrators and politicians but actually do nothing to really raise standards.”
Source: Kevin Sack, NY Times
Oct 26, 2000
Bush proposes more for vouchers than for public schools
GORE [to Bush]: Governor Bush is for vouchers. And in his plan, he proposes to drain more money, more taxpayer money, out of the public schools for private school vouchers than all of the money that he proposes in his entire budget for public schools
themselves. And only one in 20 students would be eligible for these vouchers, and they wouldn’t even pay the full tuition to private school.BUSH: First of all, vouchers are up to states. If you want to do a voucher program in Missouri, fine. I’m a
governor of a state and I don’t like it when the federal government tell us what to do. I believe in local control of schools.
GORE: Under your plan, Governor Bush, states would be required to pay vouchers to students, to match the vouchers that the
federal government would put up. Under his plan, if a school was designated as failing, the kids would be trapped there for another three years, and then some of them would get federal vouchers, and the state would be forced to match that money.
Source: St. Louis debate
Oct 17, 2000
Overempasized restrictions of Bush’s education plan
Gore suggested Bush’s education plan would force states to give parents whose children are in failing schools vouchers to send their children to private schools. Bush’s plan offers more choices than that, including public schools or tutoring. Gore
also said that when a school is found to be failing under Bush’s plan, “kids would be trapped there for another three years” before anything is done. He suggested that his own plan would [act] right away; Gore’s plan in fact would take two years.
Source: Associated Press analysis of St. Louis debate
Oct 17, 2000
Vouchers cause public schools to have 9:30 lunch & no desks
Governor Bush is in favor of vouchers, which take money away from public schools and give them to private schools that are not accountable for how the money is used and don’t have to take all applicants. I went to a school in Dade County Florida where
the facilities are so overcrowded, the children have to eat lunch in shifts with the first shift for lunch starting at 9:30 in the morning. [And I got a letter from a student in] Sarasota High School. Her science class was supposed to be for 24
students. She is the 36th student in that classroom, sent me a picture of her in the classroom. They can’t squeeze another desk in for her, so she has to stand during class. I want the federal government, consistent with local control and new
accountability, to make improvement of our schools the number one priority so [that students] will have a desk and can sit down in a classroom where she can learn.
Source: Presidential debate, Boston MA
Oct 3, 2000
Spend resources rebuilding public schools
- Gore opposes using public funds to provide private school tuition.
- Would close public schools that failed to meet higher standards and then reopen them with new supervision.
- Would provide federal funds to help communities raise
salaries and recruit new teachers.
- Proposes $36 billion in tax credits, including making up to $10,000 of college tuition tax deductible.
- Backs voluntary national tests for 4th and 8th graders in math and reading.
Source: Boston Globe, p. A24
Oct 3, 2000
Yes, poor parents in failing schools might like vouchers
Al Gore, the situational ethicist, recently said: “If I was the parent of a child who went to an inner-city school that was failing. I might be for vouchers, too.”
Source: Boston Globe editorial by George F. Will, p. A22
Aug 31, 2000
Invest in schools; don’t drain them via vouchers
It’s not just about more money. It’s about higher standards, accountability -- new ideas. But we can’t do it without new resources. I will invest far more in our schools - in the long-run, a second-class education always
costs more than a first-class education. And I will not go along with any plan that would drain taxpayer money away from our public schools and give it to private schools in the form of vouchers.
Source: Speech to the 2000 Democratic National Convention
Aug 18, 2000
Lieberman experiments with vouchers; Bush destroys with them
A teacher asked Gore & Lieberman what they would do about education vouchers, a tax break that helps parents of private school students and that is strongly supported by Bush. Lieberman has supported the plan in some cases. Gore said: ‘’Our
administration will be opposed to private school vouchers.’’ ’’Al Gore and I stand shoulder to shoulder,’’ Lieberman piped in. While the two men may disagree in private, ‘’when President Gore decides, believe me, Vice President Lieberman will support
him wholeheartedly,’’ Lieberman added.
’’I’m not afraid to have a vice president who disagrees with me on some issues,’’ Gore said. Gore insisted he would be the one to set the agenda in the White House - not Lieberman.
The pilot voucher program
Lieberman has supported is ‘’a very small part of his education agenda,’’ a Gore spokesman said. ‘’Lieberman’s approach to vouchers has been experimental,’’ contrasting Lieberman’s stance to that of Bush, who wants to ‘’abandon public education.’’
Source: Susan Milligan, Boston Globe, p. A1
Aug 10, 2000
Parents in failing schools can’t wait: Shut down & re-open
Q: What do you tell a mother in Cleveland who has a voucher [where they’re legal]. Are you saying that voucher program shouldn’t exist in Cleveland? A: I don’t want to comment on the legalities of specific court challenges that are underway. But let
me answer your question in a different way. I don’t think that we can tell any parent in this country that they ought to keep their children in a failing school for one more day. They cannot wait. And that’s why I have proposed shutting down every
failing school, and reopening it with a new principal, with full peer review of all the teachers; new resources; and a new school plan to make that school a success.
Now the difference between Governor Bush and myself is this: I would shut down
failing schools and reopen them. He would leave the failing school in place, and take money away from the school, and try to convince the parents that it’s enough for them to go and pay tuition at a private school, when it’s not.
Source: PBS Frontline interview, “The Battle Over School Choice”
May 23, 2000
For-profit schools OK within public system
Q: What about allowing companies to have for-profit charter schools? A: I ‘m not sure we have enough evidence on the outcomes yet, I’d like to know more. Certainly a lot of communities are looking actively at that option but the point is to give them
the option to start charter schools according to standards that insure that they’re not going to be [bad]. But by and large, if we give that new competition within the public school system, we’re going to see a lot more dynamism and change.
Source: PBS Frontline interview, “The Battle Over School Choice”
May 23, 2000
Says Bush’s “choice” sends kids to bad public schools
The people of Texas deserve better than a pre-school participation rate 28% below the national average; The people of Texas deserve better than 40,000 teacher vacancies. The people of Texas deserve better than a shortage of 12,000 new classrooms. Here in
Texas, when Bush took office, he tried to let schools escape the state’s requirement for smaller class sizes. Bush’s national accountability agenda proposes to drain public money away from public schools with private school vouchers. In fact, his answer
for failing schools is to take away a major portion of their funding, and allow it to be used for private schools through vouchers--giving parents a fraction of what private tuition really costs, and giving taxpayer dollars to schools that are
accountable to no one. Bush says he’s for public school choice - but since he does nothing to rebuild crumbling schools or reduce class size, his idea of public school choice is to send more children to school in antiquated, overcrowded classrooms.
Source: Speech to National Conference of Black Mayors, Dallas TX
Apr 28, 2000
Choice & competition only within public & charter schools
Gore believes in more choice and competition within the public school system. Gore would triple the number of Charter Schools and put forward a plan to bring universal public school choice and reforms targeted
to helping all children reach high standards to 100 of the lowest-performing school districts in America. Gore opposes private school vouchers, which funnel public money into private schools that are not accountable.
Source: Press release for Conference of Black Mayors
Apr 28, 2000
Give parents choice in choosing public schools
Al Gore has fought to put 100,000 new teachers in the classroom; for tougher standards to make sure our children are learning; to give parents more choice in choosing public schools. Now, for the first time, reading scores in the key grades of 4th, 8th
and 12th are going up across America. And Gore has a plan to bring revolutionary improvements to our schools: Smaller class sizes. Higher standards for teachers and students. Rebuilding crumbling schools. Turning around failing schools.
Source: Television advertisement
Mar 21, 2000
Increase public school aid by 50% instead of vouchers
Q: How would you improve the quality of inner city public schools without vouchers?
A: No child in this country should be trapped in a failing school. Bringing about revolutionary improvements in our public schools has to be the number one priority for
investment in the future. I never supported vouchers... because they would drain money away from our public schools at a time when we ought to be increasing the federal investment in public schools and I propose to increase it by more than 50%.
Source: Democrat Debate in Des Moines, Iowa
Jan 17, 2000
No experimental vouchers
Gore [does not] support school vouchers on an experimental basis. “I want you to know I have never been for vouchers,” Gore said.
Source: Ann Scales, Boston Globe, p. A16
Sep 26, 1999
More choice, more local control, within public schools
At a commencement speech at Graceland College, Gore called for:- More choices for parents within the public school system;
- More control for local school officials over staff, budget, and student advancement;
- Programs to identify “failing
schools” and give parents more leeway in putting their children in different schools.
Neither Gore nor aides would say how much his proposals might cost. Gore said, “Every one of these proposals will be fully paid for within a balanced budget.”
Source: Boston Globe, p. A12, “Gore details plan”
May 17, 1999
Shut failing schools; then re-open & turn them around
Every state and every school district should be required to identify failing schools, and work to turn them around - with strict accountability for results, and strong incentives for success. And if these failing schools don’t improve quickly, they
should be shut down fairly and fast, and when needed, reopened under a new principal with a full peer evaluation of every teacher, intensive training for those who need it, and fair ways to improve or remove low-performing teachers.
Source: Commencement address: Graceland College, Iowa
May 16, 1999
Against vouchers; build up public schools instead
[Congress is] pushing a wrong-headed voucher proposal that would drain precious resources from our public schools, and would barely benefit the students who need help the most. [Congress’ plan] would be worth a mere $7 a year for families with children
in public schools, while giving $37 a year to families with children in private schools. Tell your Senators to reject this approach. Instead, let’s pass the President’s plan to build up our public schools, not tear them down.
Source: Speech to National PTA, “Protecting Our Children”
Mar 23, 1998
Offer every parent Charter Schools and public school choice.
Gore adopted the manifesto, "A New Agenda for the New Decade":
Create World-Class Public Schools
Now more than ever, quality public education is the key to equal opportunity and upward mobility in America. Yet our neediest children often attend the worst schools. While lifting the performance of all schools, we must place special emphasis on strengthening those institutions serving, and too often failing, low-income students.
To close this achievement and opportunity gap, underperforming public schools need more resources, and above all, real accountability for results. Accountability means ending social promotion, measuring student performance with standards-based assessments, and testing teachers for subject-matter competency.
As we demand accountability, we should ensure that every school has the resources needed to achieve higher standards, including safe and modern physical facilities, well-paid teachers and staff, and opportunities for remedial help after school and during summers.
Parents, too, must accept greater responsibility for supporting their children’s education.
We need greater choice, competition, and accountability within the public school system, not a diversion of public funds to private schools that are unaccountable to taxpayers. With research increasingly showing the critical nature of learning in the early years, we should move toward universal access to pre-kindergarten education.
Goals for 2010 - Turn around every failing public school.
- Make charter schools an option in every state and community.
- Offer every parent a choice of public schools to which to send his or her child.
- Make sure every classroom has well-qualified teachers who know the subjects they teach, and pay teachers more for performance.
- Create a safe, clean, healthy, disciplined learning environment for every student.
- Make pre-kindergarten education universally available.
Source: The Hyde Park Declaration 00-DLC2 on Aug 1, 2000
Page last updated: Dec 07, 2008
