Almanac of American Politics: on Education


Gray Davis: Balanced education reform with teachers’ unions

Despite the fact that he had voted in the Assembly in lockstep with the teachers’ unions, he proposed education reforms which, while crafted carefully to minimally annoy union leaders, still diverged from the liberal policies which had destroyed California’s public schools. Davis called a special session of the legislature and presented four bills--for peer review for teachers, enhanced reading instruction, a school-rating system and a standardized test for high schools.
Source: National Journal, the Almanac of American Politics Feb 11, 2000

Gray Davis: Supports EdFlex; more money for higher grades

Education he proclaimed as his “first, second and third” priorities. On the national level, he backed the House Republicans’ EdFlex bill, arguing that California didn’t need money to reduce class sizes for the first four grades--a Clinton targeted program--because it had just done so under a law Pete Wilson proposed and Davis backed; it needed the flexibility to spend money on classrooms for higher grades.
Source: National Journal, the Almanac of American Politics Feb 11, 2000

Jeb Bush: Instituted school voucher plan

[In his campaign], Jeb Bush called for fewer appeals for death row inmates and speedier executions, said Florida should withdraw from AFDC and replace it with limited temporary assistance, and called for school choice and demanded voter approval of all state and local tax increases.

In his first 100 days, Bush’s legislative agenda met with stunning success. He passed a school voucher plan, got longer prison terms for gun-toting criminals, and instituted a $1 billion tax break.

Source: National Journal, the Almanac of American Politics Jan 28, 2000

Tom Ridge: More standards, and make them clear

On education, Ridge got $132 million to spend on computers in schools in 1995. In 1996 he got reform of teacher tenure and sabbaticals. He set up an advisory commission to produce rigorous standards that were so comprehensible that “parents can hang them on the refrigerator door and discuss them with their children. No jargon, no buzz words, no educational fads.”
Source: National Journal, the Almanac of American Politics Jan 28, 2000

Tom Ridge: More charters; push for school choice

In 1997 he got the legislature to create more charter schools. By a narrow margin, Ridge’s proposal for school choice failed in the legislature in his first term; he pressed again for choice in May 1999.
Source: National Journal, the Almanac of American Politics Jan 28, 2000

  • The above quotations are from Almanac of American Politics, by Grant Ujifusa and Michael Barone.
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2020 Presidential contenders on Education:
  Democrats running for President:
Sen.Michael Bennet (D-CO)
V.P.Joe Biden (D-DE)
Mayor Mike Bloomberg (I-NYC)
Gov.Steve Bullock (D-MT)
Mayor Pete Buttigieg (D-IN)
Sen.Cory Booker (D-NJ)
Secy.Julian Castro (D-TX)
Gov.Lincoln Chafee (L-RI)
Rep.John Delaney (D-MD)
Rep.Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI)
Sen.Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)
Gov.Deval Patrick (D-MA)
Sen.Bernie Sanders (I-VT)
CEO Tom Steyer (D-CA)
Sen.Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)
Marianne Williamson (D-CA)
CEO Andrew Yang (D-NY)

2020 Third Party Candidates:
Rep.Justin Amash (L-MI)
CEO Don Blankenship (C-WV)
Gov.Lincoln Chafee (L-RI)
Howie Hawkins (G-NY)
Gov.Gary Johnson(L-NM)
Howard Schultz(I-WA)
Gov.Jesse Ventura (I-MN) 		Republicans running for President:
Sen.Ted Cruz(R-TX)
Gov.Larry Hogan (R-MD)
Gov.John Kasich(R-OH)
V.P.Mike Pence(R-IN)
Gov.Mark Sanford (R-SC)
Pres.Donald Trump(R-NY)
Rep.Joe Walsh (R-IL)
Gov.Bill Weld(R-MA & L-NY)

2020 Withdrawn Democratic Candidates:
Sen.Stacey Abrams (D-GA)
Mayor Bill de Blasio (D-NYC)
Sen.Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)
Sen.Mike Gravel (D-AK)
Sen.Kamala Harris (D-CA)
Gov.John Hickenlooper (D-CO)
Gov.Jay Inslee (D-WA)
Mayor Wayne Messam (D-FL)
Rep.Seth Moulton (D-MA)
Rep.Beto O`Rourke (D-TX)
Rep.Tim Ryan (D-CA)
Adm.Joe Sestak (D-PA)
Rep.Eric Swalwell (D-CA)
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Page last updated: Dec 02, 2021