Governor's State of the State speeches, late 1990s: on Education


George W. Bush: Commit funds to education and tax cuts

We can show Washington how to handle a budget surplus. During times of plenty, we must not commit our state to programs we cannot afford in the future. We must meet basic needs, dedicate the lion’s share of new money to public schools, then send money back to the hands who earned it - the taxpayers of Texas. Tomorrow, I will submit a budget that is balanced and limits government’s growth. It reflects my two major priorities: school children and taxpayers.
Source: (Cross-ref from Budget & Economy) 1999 State of the State Ad Jun 14, 1999

Jesse Ventura: Responsibility for education begins with parents

The goal of this administration is to build the strongest public education system in the world.but it is only as effective as the resolve of every parent to step up and be the first and most important teacher a child will have. On that I will not give an inch. It's so easy to blame the governor, the legislature, teachers, the school board--when in reality nothing is successful without every parent making good decisions, every day, in the best interests of each child.
Source: 1999 State of the State Address to Minnesota Legislature Mar 2, 1999

George W. Bush: Supports trying charter schools and vouchers

Let’s show Texas is not afraid to change and innovate. During the last four years, we have provided new outlets for educational entrepreneurs - charter schools, open-enrollment campuses, public school choice. These bold experiments have shown that parent from all walks of life are hungry for a better education for their children. I know there’s a huge debate raging, but we must not trap students in low-performing schools. It is time to see if it works: Let’s try a pilot voucher program.
Source: 1999 State of the State Address, Austin TX Jan 27, 1999

Tommy Thompson: School choice has made a difference for low-income families

Surely many never thought our landmark school choice program would see the light of day. But finally, low-income parents in Milwaukee can freely send their children to the best school possible - no matter what its affiliation.
Source: 1999 State of the State speech Jan 27, 1999

Tom Carper: Focus on discipline in schools

School reforms won’t be effective in classrooms that are too disruptive for teachers to teach and students to learn. To help create disciplined classroom environments, we’ve initiated disruption prevention programs in every Delaware public school. We’ve created alternative learning centers for chronically disruptive students in each of our counties. It hasn’t been enough. This year, I will propose to increase by 50% what we currently spend on discipline, to expand the program statewide.
Source: 1999 Delaware State of the State Speech Jan 21, 1999

Zell Miller: All children should have the opportunity to attend pre-K

We became the first state to offer pre-kindergarten, free of charge, to every four-year-old. Pre-K students are more likely to stay in school, achieve higher test scores, and graduate better prepared for the workforce. More than 185,000 Georgia children have benefited from pre-K. The pre-K program reflects my philosophy of education: every Georgia child should enter school ready to learn.
Source: 1998 Georgia State of the State Address Jan 15, 1998

George W. Bush: “Home rule” with state standards

“Home Rule Education Districts” [allows] any school district which so chooses. to declare itself free from any state mandate. So long as the district meets state standards, the local people should be free to chart the course to educational excellence. The state has a role, but it is not to micromanage local districts. The state should set high standards and hold teachers and administrators accountable for results. Our measuring system should be stable and open for review.
Source: 1995 State of the State Address, Austin TX Feb 7, 1995

  • The above quotations are from Late 1990s Governor's State of the State speeches.
  • Click here for definitions & background information on Education.
  • Click here for other issues (main summary page).
  • Click here for more quotes by George W. Bush on Education.
  • Click here for more quotes by Zell Miller on Education.
Candidates and political leaders on Education:

Gubernatorial Debates 2020:
DE: vs.Carney(incumbent) vs.Williams(D)
IN: vs.Holcomb(incumbent) vs.Melton(D) vs.Myers(D)
MO: Parson(incumbent) vs.Galloway(D) vs.Neely(R)
MT: Bullock(retiring) vs.Fox(R) vs.Perry(R) vs.Gianforte(R) vs.Stapleton(R) vs.Olszewski(R) vs.Neill(D) vs.Schreiner(D) vs.Cooney(D) vs.Williams(D)
NC: Cooper(incumbent) vs.Forest(R) vs.Grange(R)
ND: Burgum(incumbent) vs.Coachman(R) vs.Lenz(D)
NH: Sununu(incumbent) vs.Volinsky(D) vs. fsFeltes(D)
PR: Rossello(D) vs.Garced(D) vs.Pierluisi(D)
UT: Herbert(retiring) vs.Huntsman(R) vs.Cox(R) vs.Burningham(R) vs.Newton(D) vs.Hughes(R)
VT: Scott(incumbent) vs.Holcombe(D) vs.Zuckerman(D)
WA: Inslee(incumbent) vs.Bryant(R) vs.Fortunato(R)
WV: Justice(incumbent) vs.Folk(R) vs.Thrasher(R) vs.Vanover(D) vs.Smith(D) vs.Ron Stollings(D)
Gubernatorial Debates 2021:
NJ:
Murphy(D) vs.Ciattarelli(R)
VA:
Northam(D,term-limited) vs.Herring(D) vs.Chase(R) vs.Fairfax(D)

Gubernatorial Debates 2019:
KY:
Bevin(R) vs.Goforth(R,lost primary) vs.Adkins(D,lost primary) vs.Beshear(D) vs.Edelen(D,lost primary)
LA:
Edwards(D) vs.Rispone(R) vs.Abraham(R) vs.Kennedy(R,declined)
MS:
Bryant(R,retiring) vs.Foster(R) vs.Hood(D) vs.Reeves(R) vs.Waller(R)
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Page last updated: Mar 14, 2021