EduWatch 2015: on Education

John Kasich: I like the ideas in Common Core, but not the program

• Common Core: "[The idea behind the standards was for] students in every state to be given the opportunity to compete with every other student....I want kids to jump higher....I'm going to make sure, at least in my state, that standards are high and local control is maintained....Now, some may call that Common Core. I don't really know, but I'm telling you the way it is in my state." July 2015.
• Common Core-aligned curricula: "The curriculum to meet those standards...is set by local school boards....It is not set by Barack Obama, it is not even set by John Kasich; it is set by local school boards. And we have parental advisors that work with the school board." July 2015.
• The Common Core conversation: "Now, on this whole business of Common Core, it's like it's radioactive: You mention that and everybody all the sudden doesn't listen anymore." July 2015.

John Kasich: We need charter schools, with state oversight

• Charter schools: "We need charter schools. We need them. Okay?" Feb. 2015.
• Charter school governance: "At times Ohio hasn't provided enough guidance and oversight for charters. We're changing that by cracking down on charter school sponsors who turn a blind eye to their failing schools. We're going to give better schools to better sponsors, and we will ban them from sponsoring new schools if they're not doing their jobs. For sponsors who struggle but who show promise, we'll incentivize them with some facility upgrades." Feb. 2015.
• The federal role in education: "We don't want the federal government driving K-12 education." March 2015.
• Education funding: "You know, education funding is not about buildings, equipment, or adults, & I'll tell you one more thing that it's not about: It's not about a state printout, whether you got a minus or a plus. It's about distributing precious resources as best as we can to be in a position where kids can all have an equal chance." Feb. 2015.

Scott Walker: Support virtual schools and homeschooling

• School choice: "We increased the number of quality education choices all over Wisconsin. Over the past four years, we expanded the number of charter schools, lifted the limits on virtual schools, and provided more help for families choosing to homeschool their children. We also dramatically expanded the 25-year-old Milwaukee Parental School Choice program to add more students, more schools, and working class families. Then we expanded school choice across the state."
• Local control of education: "Money spent at the local and state level is more efficient, more effective, and more accountable. I support moving money out of Washington and sending it to states and schools."
• Homeschooling: "Homeschool parents celebrate their freedom to choose to educate their children at home, and their ability to give their children a high-quality, successful education that will prepare them for adult life as hardworking, generous, honest, competent citizens and leaders." Source: Fordham Institute EduWatch 2016 by Brandon White Jul 13, 2015

  James Webb: More pre-K programs; more second-chance high schools

  • Pre-K: "The first [challenge we face in American education] is the benefit we can get through pre-K programs that would allow less privileged children to begin socialization and education at an earlier age."
  • Cost of college: "The second challenge is the huge student loan debt that is hanging over the heads of so many of our talented young people who must mortgage their futures in order to have one. We could find a way for those who have finished their education to complete a period of public service, with loan forgiveness as an incentive for that service."
  • High school graduation rates: "The third challenge is the reality that about 25% of the young people in this country do not even finish high school. During my time in the Senate, we worked hard to create second-chance programs for those who had not finished high school, financed in part by employer tax credits combined with programs in local community colleges."
  Source: Fordham Institute EduWatch 2016 by Brandon White Jul 10, 2015

  James Webb: Rebuild our public educational system

  • October 2006.No Child Left Behind: "You have federal requirements that are being put into place without the full amount of funding so that local jurisdictions are having to make up the difference, which is taking money away from other things they could be doing."
  • September 2008.De facto tracking: "We tend to label kids early on, and we've gotten worse at it rather than better over the years."
  • July 2015.Fixing education and making it equal: "Let's put a priority on fixing our educational system and, in the process, giving our young people the priorities in our society and the future that they deserve. Let's rebuild an educational system that gives everyone a fair chance. A democracy is only as strong as the promise it offers its young citizens through the public education system."
  Source: Fordham Institute EduWatch 2016 by Brandon White Jul 10, 2015

  Bobby Jindal: Let parents decide on traditional school or virtual school

  • Parents' role: "Maybe a student will perform well in a traditional public school, or a charter school, or a virtual school, but the point is that parents should be able to decide, not bureaucrats in Baton Rouge or Washington." Sept. 2013.
  • Charter schools: "We reformed education, with nearly 100% charter schools in New Orleans. And now we have statewide school choice." June 2015.
  • Local control: "Allowing the federal government to dictate education to states and local government? No thanks. I'm from the school that believes education is a matter best left for local control. We can have rigorous standards without giving control to the federal government." April 2014.
  • Low-income students and school choice scholarships: "In Louisiana, low-income families with children in schools graded C, D, or F by the state are eligible to apply for a scholarship and send their children to schools of their choice." Sept. 2013.
  Source: Fordham Institute EduWatch 2016 by Brandon White Jul 7, 2015

  Chris Christie: Focus on college readiness; expand use of apprenticeships

  • College readiness: "Focusing specifically on students from low-income families, college readiness programs can enroll these students in transitional courses before they graduate high school to better prepare them for college."
  • Apprenticeships: "We should expand the use of apprenticeships, and make them more attractive for young people and employers. Learning on the job is still learning, and for many professions it's the most valuable experience there is. We should provide tax incentives to cover the cost of apprentice wages and program costs. Students in every state should also have the option to get some sort of on-the-job training before finishing high school."
  • Alternatives to traditional four-year college degrees: "America should strive to give students lots of different ways to learn, and shouldn't fear alternatives to traditional four-year public universities."
  Source: Fordham Institute EduWatch 2016 by Brandon White Jul 6, 2015

  Donald Trump: We spend more per student than any other nation

  • Education spending: "People are tired of spending more money on education than any nation in the world per capita."
  • Local control of education: "Education has to be local."
  • American education in an international context: "We're 26th in the world. 25 countries are better than us at education. And some of them are like third world countries. But we're becoming a third world country."
  Source: Fordham Institute EduWatch 2016 by Brandon White Jun 18, 2015

  Jeb Bush: Parental choice in preschool, both public and private

  • Preschool: "States that are considering investing in pre-K should learn the four lessons that Florida did:
    1. Give parents choice in preschool, both public and private;
    2. ensure a focus on early literacy;
    3. measure and report on the effectiveness of the programs; and
    4. focus on outcomes, not inputs. With these steps, states can create programs that will show results."
  • School choice: "Choice rewards success and weeds out stagnation, inefficiency, and failure. This is why school choice is critical to the education reform movement."
  • Raising expectations in education: "Some in the education community complain that every time they achieve the results expected of them, we raise expectations, and school grades drop as a result. That was our goal. We have learned that students and teachers rise to the new challenge, and the school grades go back up because everyone rises to the challenge. This formula is how you drive success in any endeavor."
  Source: Fordham Institute EduWatch 2016 by Brandon White Jun 15, 2015

  Jeb Bush: Class-size reduction does not improve student achievement

  Class size: "Harvard Kennedy School researchers analyzed the impact of the class-size amendment in 2010 and found it did not improve student achievement. Reform is about creating a more efficient, more effective education system that meets the needs of children. The class-size amendment has been a hugely expensive diversion from that goal. For example, we are breaking up kindergarten classes with 19 or 20 kids to reach some artificial threshold that has no bearing on student achievement. We have spent billions of dollars on more buildings and for more teachers with no evidence this policy produced better results."
  • Teacher pay: "It's too bad we can't use the money we are wasting on meeting arbitrary numbers and divert it to where it will do more good, such as rewarding our best teachers with the pay they deserve: a reform that actually will produce results."
  Source: Fordham Institute EduWatch 2016 by Brandon White Jun 15, 2015

  Jeb Bush: Minority achievement gap intolerable morally & economically

  On the achievement gap: "NAEP results indicate that African American and Hispanic students are reading two grade levels behind their white peers. That gap is reflective of a socioeconomic divide when it comes to education, and it is intolerable on a number of levels: Morally. Socially. Economically." Source: Fordham Institute EduWatch 2016 by Brandon White Jun 15, 2015

  Rick Perry: Get rid of the federal Department of Education

  • The U.S. Department of Education: "Eliminate agencies that perform redundant functions....Get rid of the Department of Commerce, the Department of Education, the Department of Energy." November 2011.
  • Common Core: "It's a Tenth Amendment issue. If you want Washington, if you want to implement their standards, that's your call....We certainly had higher standards than [Common Core], so it was a very easy decision for Texans, myself and the legislature included, to basically say we still believe that Texans know how to best run Texas." August 2014.
  • No Child Left Behind: "Yeah, that's a cool name, but it's a monstrous intrusion into our affairs." April 2011.
  • Education and federalism: "That the Texas Legislature, that the Texas school boards, the Texas teachers, we collectively know best how to educate our children, rather than some bureaucrat in Washington." August 2014.
  Source: Fordham Institute EduWatch 2016 by Brandon White Jun 8, 2015

  Rick Perry: We implemented $10,000 degrees at 13 Texas universities

  On college affordability: "We have to make sure that college is accessible and affordable. Two years ago, I called upon our institutions of higher learning to develop plans for degrees that cost no more than $10,000. There were plenty of detractors at that time who insisted it couldn't be done. However, that call inspired educators at colleges and universities across our state to step up to the plate. Today, I'm proud to tell you that 13 Texas universities have announced plans for a $10,000 degree." Source: Fordham Institute EduWatch 2016 by Brandon White Jun 8, 2015

  Lincoln Chafee: Supports charters, STEM, and early education

  • National standardized testing: "Nationally, I do think it's a good idea to have some kind of standard testing--some parameters to see how everyone's doing at various grade levels." September 2006.
  • Charter schools: "The debate is ongoing on whether charter schools are in the best interest of our educational system. I want to take all the data that's being presented and make good decisions." November 2010.
  • STEM education: "Certainly, here in the state of Rhode Island, we want to continue to support education in all capacities, particularly in science education and mathematics." May 2011.
  • Early childhood education: "Should only the children of the wealthy have access to early education? The answer is absolutely no." September 2012.
  • The importance of educating the middle class: "A strong, educated middle class is what made America the greatest country in the world." September 2012.
  Source: Fordham Institute EduWatch 2016 by Brandon White Jun 4, 2015

  Lindsey Graham: States were bribed & coerced into adopting Common Core

  • Common Core: "The Obama administration has effectively bribed and coerced states into adopting Common Core. Blanket education standards should not be a prerequisite for federal funding. In order to have a competitive application for some federal grants and flexibility waivers, states have to adopt Common Core. This is simply not the way the Obama administration should be handling education policy." February 2014.
  • No Child Left Behind: "NCLB was a historic effort to bring about accountability to our schools and measure achievement and progress of our students. As with any major changes in federal policy, it appears some parts have worked while others have not. I think it is important to meet with men and women who spend their lives educating children to hear their views on NCLB." October 2007.
  Source: Fordham Institute EduWatch 2016 by Brandon White Jun 3, 2015

  Lindsey Graham: I made homeschool graduates eligible for military service

  • Local control of education: "Education belongs in the hands of our parents, local officials, and states." February 2014.
  • Homeschooling: "When you look at the outcomes of homeschooling, it will just blow you away. So, here, you can take this one to the bank: You've got no better friend than Lindsey Graham for homeschooling as an option. And I was the one who convinced the Department of Defense to allow homeschool graduates to be eligible for military service." September 2013.
  • Parental rights in education: "The rights of parents are under assault from school districts, teachers' unions, and activist judges. Parental rights do not and should not end at the schoolhouse door. Eliminating parental input regarding public school decisions is a disaster for public schools. The last thing we need to do is to alienate or destroy parental involvement in public education." December 2007.
  Source: Fordham Institute EduWatch 2016 by Brandon White Jun 3, 2015

  Lindsey Graham: Before the 60s, we were able to say a prayer in school

  On religion in schools (September 2013): "In the early sixties, there was a war declared on religion in this country. How many of you remember going to school, being able to say a prayer? How many of you believe the fact that your children can't pray at a football game or say a prayer to their god if they choose to in a public setting has made this country worse off? I hope the presidential nominee for 2016 will embrace social conservatism in a tolerant way." Source: Fordham Institute EduWatch 2016 by Brandon White Jun 3, 2015

  Ben Carson: Supports charter schools; supports local control

  • April 2013.School choice: "School choice obviously plays a huge role [in making American schools more competitive]. And I think having charter schools, having school vouchers, things of that nature are extremely good because, unless you're competing for those students, it's very likely you're going to become complacent."
  • January 2015.Local control of education: "Education that is closest to home, local education, seems to be the most effective education. So I would tend to be much more in favor of education that is controlled at a state level and by local municipalities--and in which the parents have a much greater say about what is happening with their children."
  • Common Core: "In recen years, there has been a troubling trend of the U.S. Department of Education increasingly trying to dictate how children are educated in our primary and secondary schools. This must stop and Common Core must be overturned." May 2015.
  Source: Fordham Institute EduWatch 2016 by Brandon White May 5, 2015

  Ben Carson: Supports homeschooling; supports teaching values

  • Feb. 2015.Alternatives to traditional public schools: "The best education is the education that is closest to home, and I've found that for instance homeschoolers do the best, private schoolers next best, charter schoolers next best, and public schoolers worst."
  • April 2013.Great schools: "Our public schools used to be the envy of the world in the pre-1930s time. But remember in those times we spent a lot of emphasis on very basic education and we also taught values in our school system. Since we started becoming politically correct--and basically there are no values--and not making the basic things that a person needs to know, giving it primacy, we're suffering the consequences of that."
  • April 2014 Redistributive school funding: "Wouldn't it make more sense to put the money in a pot and redistribute it throughout the country so that public schools are equal, whether you're in a poor area or a wealthy area?"
  Source: Fordham Institute EduWatch 2016 by Brandon White May 5, 2015

  Carly Fiorina: Opposes Common Core; shrink Dept. of Education

  • January 2015.Common Core: "I don't think Common Core is a good idea. I don't support it."
  • August 2010.No Child Left Behind: "No Child Left Behind helped us set high standards for our students, and many of our students have met and exceeded that bar."
  • February 2015.The U.S. Department of Education: "The bigger our education department becomes, the worse our public education becomes. There's no connection between spending more money in our nation's capital and a better school system."
  • August 2010.Data-driven reform: "Robust data systems help parents and teachers more accurately and effectively track how a student is learning so they can continually improve their teaching practices to ensure greater student success."
  Source: Fordham Institute EduWatch 2016 by Brandon White May 5, 2015

  Carly Fiorina: Supports competition and accountability in schools

  • Feb. 2015.School choice: "Parents should be given choice, competition, and accountability in the classroom."
  • Aug. 2010.The role of parents in education: "Parents play incredibly important roles in a child's education, and any successful education reform plan must embrace and encourage robust parental involvement."
  • Nov. 2009.The importance of education and accountability: "The most important thing is to have a world-class 21st century education system. We need to start by insisting on really strong accountability measures in public schools."
  • Aug. 2010.Recruiting teachers: "Recruiting and retaining highly effective teachers and principals helps ensure that our students are learning from the best."
  • Feb. 2015.Free community college: "[Obama] is trying to distract us from the fact that we have too many failing high schools in this country by offering community college for free."
  Source: Fordham Institute EduWatch 2016 by Brandon White May 5, 2015

  Bernie Sanders: Do away with fill-in-the-bubble standardized tests

  • Standardized testing: "Promote creative learning by doing away with 'fill-in-the-bubble' standardized tests, and instead evaluate students based their understanding of the curriculum and their ability to use it creatively." (May 2015).
  • Tests and accountability: "I think it is wrong to judge schools solely on the basis of narrow tests. We have to work on what kind of criteria we really need. A kid is more than a test. We want kids to be creative. We want kids to be critical thinkers. We also want schools held accountable for factors other than test scores, including how they meet the challenges of students from low-income families." (April 2015).
  • Race to the Top : "It is unacceptable that nearly $5 billion of federal 'Race to the Top' funding has been distributed while Vermont and many other states have not received a penny." (June 2012).
  Source: Fordham Institute EduWatch 2016 by Brandon White May 4, 2015

  Bernie Sanders: Education begins before age 4 or 5

  • Early childhood education: "We must do away with the archaic notion that education begins at four or five years old. For far too long, our society has undervalued the need for high-quality and widely accessible early childhood education." (February 2014).
  • Teacher pay: "Something is very wrong when, last year, the top twenty-five hedge fund managers earned more than the combined income of 425,000 public school teachers. We have to get our priorities right." (February 2015).
  • Education and upward mobility: "In the United States, all people who have the desire and the ability should be able, in this changing economy, to receive all the education they need regardless of their income. This must be done not only to rebuild the disappearing middle class but to make us competitive in the global economy." (February 2015).
  Source: Fordham Institute EduWatch 2016 by Brandon White May 4, 2015

  Ted Cruz: Abolish the U.S. Department of Education

  • March 2015.The Department of Education: "We need to abolish the U.S. Department of Education." March 2013.
  • Common Core: "We should repeal every word of Common Core. Education is far too important to have it governed by unelected bureaucrats down in Washington. The federal government has no authority to do things like set the curriculum in education. That needs to be at the state level or, even better, at the local level."
  • March 2015. Curriculum and local control: "If [curriculum is controlled] at the local level, you can go to the [local] school board meeting, and if the curriculum being taught to your kids doesn't make sense, you can make your voice heard, you can speak out and say, 'This isn't right.' Every one of us should have control over what's being taught to our kids."
  Source: Fordham Institute EduWatch 2016 by Brandon White Apr 29, 2015

  Ted Cruz: The rich already have school choice; give it to the poor

  • March 2015.School choice: "School choice, in my view, is the civil rights issue of the twenty-first century. It is an issue I have been passionately involved in for decades. And I think it is the right thing to do, but I think it also represents a tremendous opportunity."
  • March 2015.Broadening school choice: "School choice has been here since the dawn of time. The rich and middle class have always had it. All it is about is giving kids whose parents don't have the resources the same ability to choose an excellent education as the rich and middle class kids."
  • March 2014.Homeschooling: "Education reform, school choice, and home schooling have been passions of mine for decades. Every parent has a right to educate his or her children--to provide the home, to teach the values that the parents believe are right for their children."
  Source: Fordham Institute EduWatch 2016 by Brandon White Apr 29, 2015

  Ted Cruz: Supports ending racial preferences for college admissions

  • June 2013.Affirmative action: "Today, by a 7-1 vote, the Supreme Court vacated the lower court ruling [in Fisher v. University of Texas] upholding the University of Texas's use of racial preferences in admissions. Discriminating because of race is wrong, and this was a victory for our color-blind Constitution. In recent years, universities have made major strides to expand admissions for minorities and low-income students, working hard for the American dream. Universities should continue to do so, expanding opportunity for everyone--but that can be accomplished without discriminating on the basis of race."
  • Sept. 2012.Financial aid: "Student aid is critically important. In my life, education opened doors for my parents and for me that never would've been opened. We should take the funding, give it to the states, and put the states in the position to make the decisions how to have the greatest impact in their communities."
  Source: Fordham Institute EduWatch 2016 by Brandon White Apr 29, 2015

  Marco Rubio: No national school board; end Department of Education

  • The Department of Education: "If I was president of the United States, I would not have a Department of Education, perhaps at all....We don't need a national school board."
  • Common Core (2015): "I don't care what anybody tells you. Those standards will eventually be used to force on states policies the federal government wants."
  • Common Core (2013): "Common Core started out as a well-intentioned effort to develop more rigorous curriculum standards. However, it is increasingly being used by the Obama administration to turn the Department of Education into what is effectively a national school board. This effort to coerce states into adhering to national curriculum standards is not the best way to help our children attain the best education. Empowering parents, local communities, and the individual states is the best approach."
    Source: Fordham Institute EduWatch 2016 by Brandon White Apr 27, 2015

    Marco Rubio: Empower parents to overcome disastrous public system

    The public school system for millions of disadvantaged American children is a disaster. Many of these schools deny opportunity to those who need it most. We need to allow charter schools and other innovative schools to flourish. The key to that is empowering parents. Parents should be the ultimate decision makers on where their children go to school. But poor and working class parents often have no choice about what schools their children can attend. All our parents should be able to send their children to the school of their choice. For parents with special needs children, the freedom to choose their kids' school is especially important. (December 2012) Source: Fordham Institute EduWatch 2016 by Brandon White Apr 27, 2015

    Marco Rubio: Theistic evolution: science and faith are not incompatible

    On teaching creationism and evolution: "If you want to give them a truly rounded education, you should explain to them that there's a theistic creationism that exists, a theistic evolution that exists out there. The Catholic Church has adopted that position. It teaches that science and faith are not incompatible." April 2014. Source: Fordham Institute EduWatch 2016 by Brandon White Apr 27, 2015

    Hillary Clinton: Testing system based on a core curriculum has value

    • Common Core: "It's very painful because the Common Core started off as a nonpartisan effort--it wasn't politicized. Iowa has had a testing system based on a core curriculum for a really long time. And [Iowans] see the value of it, they understand why that helps organize their whole education system. And a lot of states unfortunately haven't had that, and so don't understand the value of a core, in this sense a Common Core."
    • Equity and upward mobility: "We have to do things differently, but it should all be driven by the same commitment to try to make sure that we educate every child. That's why I was a senator and voted for [NCLB], because I thought every child should matter and shouldn't [be told], 'You're poor' or, 'You've got disabilities, so we are going to sweep you to the back; don't show up on test day because we don't want to mess up our scores'. No! Every child should have the same opportunity; we've got to get back to basics."
    Source: Fordham Institute EduWatch 2016 by Brandon White Apr 23, 2015

    Hillary Clinton: Supports public school system: charters but not vouchers

    • Vouchers: "I'll tell you why I won't support vouchers. Number one, I don't think they're constitutional. But number two, I don't see how you would implement them without having a lot of people get vouchers for schools that would be teaching things antithetical to American values."
    • Charter schools: "I actually do believe in charter schools."
    • Public education: "The public school system has been, I believe, second to the Constitution, the most important institution in making America the great country that we have been over the last 200 plus years."
    Source: Fordham Institute EduWatch 2016 by Brandon White Apr 23, 2015

    Hillary Clinton: Teach discipline, self-control & patience in schools

    • Non-cognitive skills: "I believe it is time we get back to teaching discipline, self-control, patience, punctuality. The biggest complaint that I hear from employers is that young people who show up for jobs don't have those habits. They don't get there on time. They don't know how to conduct themselves appropriately."
    • Teacher pay: "We don't pay teachers what they deserve to be paid--in other countries that have better test scores than ours, teachers get paid much more. We have a lot of people who come out of school burdened with student loans and decide they can't go into teaching, so we lose a lot of good young people."
    • School spending: "Let's put money into what we know does work, like smaller class sizes, higher teacher pay, and better curriculum. Let's use interventions that work. That means extended learning time, it means summer school, it means stronger parental involvement from the very beginning of a child's schooling."
    Source: Fordham Institute EduWatch 2016 by Brandon White Apr 23, 2015

    The above quotations are from Fordham Institute EduWatch 2015 by Brandon White. Click here for definitions & background information on Education. Click here for other issues (main summary page). Click here for more quotes by Ted Cruz on Education. Click here for more quotes by Ben Carson on Education.
    2016 Presidential contenders on Education:
    	Republicans: Gov.Jeb Bush(FL) Dr.Ben Carson(MD) Gov.Chris Christie(NJ) Sen.Ted Cruz(TX) Carly Fiorina(CA) Gov.Jim Gilmore(VA) Sen.Lindsey Graham(SC) Gov.Mike Huckabee(AR) Gov.Bobby Jindal(LA) Gov.John Kasich(OH) Gov.Sarah Palin(AK) Gov.George Pataki(NY) Sen.Rand Paul(KY) Gov.Rick Perry(TX) Sen.Rob Portman(OH) Sen.Marco Rubio(FL) Sen.Rick Santorum(PA) Donald Trump(NY) Gov.Scott Walker(WI)	Democrats: Gov.Lincoln Chafee(RI) Secy.Hillary Clinton(NY) V.P.Joe Biden(DE) Gov.Martin O`Malley(MD) Sen.Bernie Sanders(VT) Sen.Elizabeth Warren(MA) Sen.Jim Webb(VA) 2016 Third Party Candidates: Gov.Gary Johnson(L-NM) Roseanne Barr(PF-HI) Robert Steele(L-NY) Dr.Jill Stein(G,MA)
    Please consider a donation to OnTheIssues.org! Click for details -- or send donations to: 1770 Mass Ave. #630, Cambridge MA 02140 E-mail: submit@OnTheIssues.org (We rely on your support!)

    
    Page last updated: Dec 07, 2018