Candidate Positions

Original source: http://www.smallgovtimes.com/story/07mar12.paul.official/index.html

[Ron Paul] strongly believes in local control of education and voted against a federal government grant that provides Black and Hispanic colleges $84 million dollars. He supports school choice and favors the use of vouchers that parents can use for private & parochial schools. In 2000, Paul supported a Republican Liberty Caucus (RLC) resolution to abolish the Department of Education and return education control to states, cities and communities.

Original source: http://myclob.pbwiki.com/Education

In 1994 Romney, as a candidate for US Senate, pledged to vote to establish a means-tested school voucher program to allow students to attend the public or private school of their choice. He also supported abolishing the federal Department of education and favored keeping control of educational reform at the lowest level, closest to parents, teachers, and the community (Boston Globe review of 1994 campaign issues Mar 21, 2002)

Original source: http://www.clubforgrowth.org/2007/01/a_report_on_mike_huckabees_fis.php

On the other hand, Governor Huckabee is on record opposing the most important element of genuine school choice-voucher programs that allow poor students in failing public schools to attend private schools and inject much needed competition into a decrepit public education system-because of a concern about government control of parochial schools (Arkansas Times 09/22/05).

Original source: http://www.quickoverview.com/election2008/mike-gravel-overview.html

During his first term in the Senate, Gravel authored a book titled Citizen Power. In it, he advocated the implementation of numerous populist ideas, including a guaranteed annual income (dubbed the “Citizen’s Wage”), public financing of elections, a progressive tax with no deductions or exemptions, steps against the military-industrial complex (which he calls the “Warfare State”), a national law to do away with voter registration and other barriers to voting, abolition of the death penalty, universal health care, school vouchers, a drastic reduction in government secrecy, and an end to what he viewed as an imperialistic foreign policy. The book also contained the complete text of the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights, and the complete platform adopted by the Populist Party during the 1892 presidential election.

Original source: http://world-poli-ticker.blogspot.com/2007/02/election-2008-joe-biden-d.html

Education: Education is key if America wants to compete globally. Every American should have access to higher education. Opposes school vouchers. Increase tax deductions for tuition. Expand government grants and student loan accessibility. Start high school students early applying and saving for college. Utilize technology to improve the systems. Favors education over corporations. Favors smaller class sizes. Opposes private tutors. Favors national education standards.

Original source: http://www.ndol.org/ndol_ci.cfm?kaid=106&subid=122&contentid=251080

The president continues to tout private school vouchers. I oppose them because they divert resources and energy from reform and divert students into the only schools that don’t have to meet high standards. Proponents advocate two things — competition and parental choice — but misleadingly suggest these are only possible with private school vouchers.

Competition is good for schools, and parental choice is good for kids. But we can give kids competition and choice within our accountable, public system.

Today, many public school choice programs are having trouble because there aren’t enough schools or parents involved. We shouldn’t give up on these programs; we should make them work by making a billion-dollar investment in public school choice. We’ll say to districts that need it most: If you’ll provide universal public school choice for your students, we’ll help you pay for it.

You should give every parent a choice where to send their kids to school; provide transportation within the district; encourage charter schools, making sure they meet the same standards as other schools, and shutting down the ones that don’t; and make the new funds portable so that a student brings money to the school he chooses and takes money from the school he leaves. These policies will help fulfill the promise of public school choice.

Original source: http://www.aflcio.org/issues/politics/issues_education.cfm

Gilmore says he supports public education and opposes school voucher programs.

“My goal has always been to make our public schools—from the elementary school classroom to the college campus—the very best choice any Virginian can make for their education or the education of their children.” (K-12 Education Amendments to the Budget, 12/7/00)

In a statement to The Virginian-Pilot, Gilmore said, “I consistently have maintained that I would not support a voucher plan if it would be detrimental to public schools.”

Original source: http://www.thebulletin.us/site/news.cfm?newsid=17769078&BRD=2737&PAG=461&dept_id=576361&rfi=6

MPT: What are your feelings about capital punishment? Gun ownership? School vouchers?

Hunter: I am in favor of all of these.

Original source: http://www.kucinichforcongress.com/issues/vouchers.php

Vouchers

Vouchers are no solution for students in poor families, no solution for education in America. School vouchers might seem a relatively benign way to increase the options poor parents have for educating their children. In fact, they pose a serious threat to values that are vital to the health of American democracy.

Vouchers represent an attempt to disestablish not only public education, but the entire public realm. Even in Cleveland and Milwaukee, where voucher programs are in place, there have been no tangible results in student achievement. Instead, the programs have diverted public money away from the vast majority of public school students. In most cases, these are the students who need it the most.

In Congress, I have voted consistently against legislation on school vouchers. I voted NO on HR 4380 to allow vouchers in Washington DC schools, and NO on HR 2746 to allow states to use certain federal funds designated for elementary and secondary education to provide vouchers to low-income families to send children to private schools. Voters, for the last 30 years, have rejected vouchers every time they’ve been proposed.

Oftentimes, funds for vouchers compete with funds for overall improvements in America’s public schools. For this reason, teachers, parents, and the general public have been long opposed to the programs. As a nation, we must fight to improve public schools and oppose alternatives that divert attention, energy, and resources from efforts to reduce class size, enhance teacher quality, and provide every student with books, computers, and safe and orderly schools.

Original source: http://archives.cnn.com/2001/ALLPOLITICS/06/12/senate.education/index.html

“By an 80 percent margin, Americans prefer investment in public schools to vouchers, said Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Connecticut, citing exit polls from last November’s election.