George W. Bush
My first priorities in education are reshaping the federal role
in education to restore local control of schools to states and closing
the achievement gap between disadvantaged students and their peers.
I believe the federal government can -- and must -- play a key role
in closing the achievement gap.
I will give states unprecedented flexibility in using federal
funds, but in return, the states must be held accountable for improving
the academic achievement of students who benefit from federal assistance.
Closing the achievement gap can be accomplished by insisting on
accountability and by concentrating on basics, such as reading.
By insisting on accountability, children will no longer be trapped
in failing schools.
If a school fails three years in a row, parents of a disadvantaged
student attending that school will be able to use the Title I funding
for an alternative choice -- whether it be another public school
that is successful, a charter school, a private school, or a tutor.
I believe by concentrating on teaching reading to children, it
will give them the foundation they need for a solid education. That's
why I have proposed a $5 billion "Reading First" initiative to ensure
all children are reading at grade level by the third grade.
Education has been my number one priority as governor, and it
will be a top priority as president. As governor, I passed reforms
based on the sound principles of local control, high standards,
and strong accountability. As a result of these commonsense reforms,
test scores are up for all students in all grades, particularly
African American and Hispanic children.
The federal government must be humble enough to stay out of the
day-to-day operation of local schools. It must be wise enough to
give states and school districts more authority and freedom. And
it must be strong enough to require proven performance in return.
The federal role in education is to foster excellence. This can
be achieved by granting freedom from federal regulation in exchange
for results. The federal role in education is not to serve the system.
It is to serve the children. |
Al Gore
I know that education is a top national priority that requires
national leadership and national investment. I also know that greater
investment without accountability for results is a waste of money
and that accountability without investment is doomed to fail. My
plan's first priority, therefore, is to invest more in our schools
while demanding more from all of our teachers, students, schools,
and states.
My plan adds an additional $170 billion over the next ten years
to provide funding to help recruit and train 1 million new teachers;
pay teachers like the professionals they are; and help communities
rebuild and modernize schools to ensure that our students can attend
schools that are modern, safe, and well equipped.
My plan also expands funding for Head Start and Early Head Start
to ensure that every child has the chance to attend preschool.
My plan also calls for all states to administer the respected
National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP), known as the Nation's
Report Card, to assess state-level performance. I will use state
accountability systems to reward successful schools and identify
failing schools to ensure they are turned around quickly.
I will also encourage states to create rigorous high-school exit
requirements and will help parents measure their children's progress
using voluntary national tests in fourth-grade reading and eighth-grade
math.
I know that by demanding high standards from our schools, teachers,
and students while investing in the tools they need to succeed,
we can make revolutionary improvements in our public schools.
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Gore and Bush Explain Their Education Priorities
