Politico.com: on Education

Adam Putnam: Urges veto of school choice bill

"I have concerns about the way that that bill, along with much of the budget, was fashioned completely in the dark and behind closed doors to the point that not only the public but many of the members who were asked to vote on it were unaware of all the different things that were taped together at the last second and then shoved into the pipeline," Putnam said.

Amy Klobuchar: I am not for free four-year college for all

On free four-year college, Klobuchar said: "No, I am not for four-year college for all."

"If I was a magic genie, and could give that for everyone, and we could afford it, I would," Klobuchar said, in response to a student's question on free four-year college. "I've got to tell the truth."

Instead, Klobuchar said that she would support easing restrictions on refinancing student loans, as well as expanding Pell Grants program.

Chip Roy: Bureaucrats should not override political officials

Joni Ernst: Eliminate Department of Education but keep Pell Grants

Marco Rubio: Professor of political science at Florida International U.

Rubio's lectures reveal a tactical mind that explores "targets of opportunity" for both parties. He discusses demographic slices of the electorate as if they are pieces on the Electoral College chessboard.

Rubio explains the GOP's dilemma like this: "Basically, Barack Obama got eight out of 10 votes from the fastest-growing groups in America. And Mitt Romney got 90 percent of his votes from the group that is diminishing in terms of its overall percentage of the population.

Imagine, he tells his students at one point, that "despite your message, you can't get through [to minority voters] because they're convinced you hate them. That's going to be a problem."

Marco Rubio: Bad idea to arm teachers against school shootings

Jeered and booed by the crowd, buffeted by tough questions, Rubio stood alone as the only Republican onstage. He broke with President Trump on whether to arm teachers. Rubio said it was a bad idea. He said he would favor raising the minimum age to purchase an assault rifle from 18 to 21. And he said he would consider restricting the size of magazines for firearms.

It was a striking turnabout for Rubio, who never met a gun-rights bill he didn't vote for in the Florida Legislature and, later, in Congress. But Rubio said he wanted to prevent another massacre and said it was time for everyone to start rethinking their positions.

Mark Begich: Guarantee school funding; endorsed by state NEA

With the incumbent governor out of the race, Begich has quickly consolidated establishment support on the left, after facing initial criticism for running against Walker. The state chapter of the National Education Association jumped on-board Begich's campaign. "There has never been a starker contrast between two candidates and their vision for public education than exists between Mark Begich and [Republican opponent] Mike Dunleavy," the state NEA's PAC said in a statement supporting Begich.

In campaign ads, Begich has made pledges on "guaranteeing school funding" and criticized Dunleavy for cutting "funds for law enforcement." By contrast, Dunleavy's website lists reducing state spending as one of his six major policy points while also bringing "jobs and investment into Alaska."

Scott Pruitt: Evolution is unproven theory

"There aren't sufficient scientific facts to establish the theory of evolution, and it deals with the origins of man, which is more from a philosophical standpoint than a scientific standpoint," he said in one part of the series, in which Pruitt and the program's hosts discussed issues related to the Constitution.

Two years earlier, Pruitt had supported an unsuccessful bill that would have required textbooks in Oklahoma to carry a disclaimer that evolution is a theory.

EPA would not say this week whether any of Pruitt's positions have changed since 2005. An EPA spokesman said "if you're insinuating that a Christian should not serve in capacity as EPA administrator, that is offensive and a question that does not warrant any further attention."

Thom Tillis: Oppose Common Core; eliminate U.S. Department of Education

All four candidates said they oppose Common Core education standards. Brannon said he believe in no federal and state education standards. "Common Core became law under Thom's watch," he said. "[It] destroyed education with the Department of Education."

Tillis said he opposes Common Core and he identified the U.S. Education Department when asked to identify a federal cabinet agency he would eliminate. "We existed for more than a century without one," said Tillis, offering a nuanced explanation. "That's the first department I'd look at...At some point, I'd wonder whether or not it needs to exist in its current form."

Tim Kaine: Protect LGBT students at schools, including gender identity