Topics in the News: NCLB
Mike Pence on Education
: Aug 23, 2023
We will give school choice to every family in America
We need a president who knows how Congress works, how the White House works, how states work. And on this education issue, Martha, I was fighting against No Child Left Behind when Republicans were doubling the Department of Education.
I will also shut down the federal Department of Education. And when I was governor, we doubled the size of the largest school choice program in America, and we will give school choice to every family in America when I'm in the White House.
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Source: Fox News 2023 Republican primary debate in Milwaukee
Jill Stein on Education
: Jan 12, 2016
Repeal incentives for privatization/charters in NCLB
The assault on public education has also been led by Obama and the Democrats--including the targeted closures of schools in communities of color, high stakes testing abuse, and the demonization of teachers and their unions. Incentives for privatization/
charters built into No Child Left Behind and the Every Child Achieves Act should be repealed. It's time to fully fund public education respect and support our teachers, and to teach to the whole student for lifetime learning.
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Source: Green Party response to 2016 State of the Union speech
Bernie Sanders on Education
: Dec 10, 2015
Fix No-Child-Left-Behind with Every-Student-Succeeds-Act
President Obama signed into law the Every Student Succeeds Act, a bipartisan fix to the much-criticized No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. The ESEA bill gives states more power over what to do with failing schools. Federally required testing is no longer
tied to any federal consequences. Rep. Bernie Sanders voted in favor of the initial NCLB bill in May 2001, but voted against the final version in December 2001. Sen. Hillary Clinton voted in favor of both the initial NCLB bill and the final bill.
On the new ESEA bill, Sanders voted for the initial bill in the Senate education committee; then voted in favor on the Senate floor and in favor of the conference committee version. Hillary Clinton announced her support for the
Every Student Succeeds Act, which is widely considered a fix to No Child Left Behind's worst flaws.
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Source: Washington Examiner on 2020 presidential hopefuls
Bernie Sanders on Education
: Sep 5, 2015
Replace NCLB standardized testing with holistic approach
Bernie strongly opposes the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB): "I voted against NCLB in 2001, and continue to oppose the bill's reliance on high-stakes standardized testing to direct draconian interventions. In my view, NCLB ignores several important
factors in a student's academic performance, specifically the impact of poverty, access to adequate health care, mental health, and nutrition. By placing so much emphasis on standardized testing, NCLB ignores many of the skills and qualities that are
vitally important in our 21st century economy, like problem solving, critical thinking, and teamwork, in favor of test preparation that provides no benefit to students after they leave school." Instead of NCLB, Bernie has called for a more holistic
method of education that gives teachers more flexibility and students more support systems: encourage an environment with task-based assignments to determine students' progress.
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Source: 2016 grassroots campaign website FeelTheBern.org, "Issues"
Chris Christie on Education
: Jun 30, 2015
Signed NJ onto Common Core but now regrets it
In February, Christie said he regrets signing onto Common Core as New Jersey governor because of the way the program was implemented. He said that local and state governments need more control over standards.
In 2013, he touted his decision to sign on to Common Core as part of President Obama's Race to the Top initiative.In March, Christie filed to renew his state's waiver giving it more flexibility in how it implements No Child Left Behind requirements.
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Source: PBS News Hour "2016 Candidate Stands" series
Jill Stein on Education
: Jul 31, 2014
Replace No Child Left Behind with professional teachers
We recommend the following actions: - Eliminate gross inequalities in school funding. Federal policy on education should act principally to provide equal access to a quality education.
- Oppose the administration of public schools by private,
for-profit entities.
- Increase funding for after-school and daycare programs.
- Give K-12 classroom teachers professional status and salaries commensurate with advanced education, training and responsibility.
- Teach non-violent conflict
resolution and humane education at all levels of education.
- Prohibit advertising to children in schools. Corporations should not be allowed to use the schools as vehicles for commercial advertising or corporate propaganda.
- Ban the sale of soda
pop and junk food in schools. Junk food is defined as food or beverages that are relatively high in saturated or trans fat, added sugars or salt, and relatively low in vitamins, minerals, protein and fiber.
- Repeal the No Child Left Behind Act.
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Source: Green Party Platform adopted by National Committee Jul. 2014
Chris Christie on Education
: Feb 17, 2011
OpEd: Christie & NCLB push teachers; but not students
On NCLB: "George Bush's heart was in the right place, but his methodology was all messed up. I mean the concept of not leaving any child left behind, to educate all children, is a good concept, but it became incredibly complicated, underfunded and put a
heavy reliance on things like standardized testing. As a reform measure, it does not work."The problems with the No Child Left Behind law are myriad. Several come to mind right off the bat: its dependence on standardized test scores;
linking merit pay to test scores; and the goal of achieving 100% proficiency by 2014 is totally unrealistic.
Another huge problem with NCLB that many supporters of the law ignore is that it places no consequences on the
students who do not meet proficiency levels. Not once has Governor Christie or any other politician called out students who, in some cases, do not make any attempt at learning. And Christie continually boasts that he tells it like it is.
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Source: Teachers Under Attack!, by Mike Spina, p. 93-96
Marco Rubio on Education
: Nov 22, 2010
Supports No Child Left Behind Opportunity Scholarships
Provide Opportunity Scholarships For Students Of Chronically Failing Schools (NCLB/Title I Funds): Under No Child Left Behind,
schools that fail to meet Adequate Yearly Progress for 5 years must implement corrective measures, including restructuring or firing the principal and teachers.
As an additional consequence for failure, low-income students should be eligible for Opportunity Scholarships (funded with existing Title I dollars) to attend
another public, charter, private or parochial school, or have access to supplemental online services of their choice.
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Source: Senate campaign website, www.marcorubio.com, "Issues"
Mike Pence on Education
: Nov 1, 2008
Eliminate "No Child Left Behind" K-12 testing requirements
Mike Pence indicated support for the following principles regarding education:- Eliminate all federal education standards and testing requirements for K-12 students (No Child Left Behind).
-
Allow parents to use vouchers to send their children to any public school.
- Allow parents to use vouchers to send their children to any private or religious school.
-
Allow teachers and professionals to receive federal funding to establish charter or magnet schools.
- Increase funding for the Pell Grant program.
-
Decrease interest rates of Stafford Loans.
- Support federal tax incentives to help families save for college.
- Require universities to disclose financial relationships with lenders.
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Source: Congressional Indiana 2008 Political Courage Test
Joe Biden on Education
: Oct 2, 2008
No Child Left Behind was left behind
BIDEN: I hope we'll get back to education because I don't know any government program that John is supporting, not early education, more money for it. The reason No Child Left Behind was left behind is the money was left behind, we didn't fund it.
PALIN: You mentioned education and I'm glad you did. I say, too, with education, America needs to be putting a lot more focus on that and our schools have got to be really ramped up in terms of the funding that they are deserving.
Teachers needed to be paid more. I come from a house full of school teachers. We have got to increase the standards. No Child Left Behind was implemented. It's not doing the job though.
We need flexibility in No Child Left Behind. We need to put more of an emphasis on the profession of teaching. My kids as public school participants right now, it's near and dear to my heart.
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Source: 2008 Vice Presidential debate against Sarah Palin
Joe Biden on Education
: Jul 23, 2007
Voting for No Child Left Behind was a mistake
Q: Everyone else on this stage who was in Congress in 2001 voted for No Child Left Behind. Would you scrap it or revise it?It was a mistake. The reason I voted for it, against my better instinct, is I have great faith in Ted Kennedy, who is so devoted
to education. But I would scrap it--or I guess, theoretically, you could do a major overhaul. But I think I'd start from the beginning. You need better teachers. You need smaller classrooms. You need to start kids earlier. It's all basic.
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Source: 2007 YouTube Democratic Primary debate, Charleston SC
Joe Biden on Education
: Feb 21, 2007
NCLB needs more resources, but also is fundamentally flawed
Q: What do you plan to do about No Child Left Behind? Do you believe that this issue is simply one of never having provided the resources to carry out the original mission of the program or are there other fundamental flaws inherent in a program with so
much emphasis on teaching to the test? A: Both. I sleep with a teacher every night -- my wife. She taught high school -- had three remedial classes and two advanced classes. Those kids in the remedial class went from sixth grade to
10th grade, and they were still penalized. Those kids in the advanced class, she didn't have to do a thing with. They passed the test. There is something fundamentally wrong with it. And we've underfunded it by about $70 billion. We know the
problem:
- Classrooms are too big; we need smaller classrooms, period.
- A lot of teachers are going to be retiring. We need a program where we attract the best and brightest students coming out of our colleges to be teachers, and pay them.
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Source: 2007 AFSCME Democratic primary debate in Carson City Nevada
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