Former U.S. Sen. John Edwards wasn’t the only Democratic presidential candidate talking about schools today.
In New Hampshire at Manchester High School West, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson unveiled his education plan. He wants to get rid of the No Child Left Behind Act (as he has noted regularly on the stump), bring full-day prekindergarten to all 4-year-olds, and pay teachers an average starting salary of $40,000. He dips his toe into the national standards debate by proposing a committee that would develop voluntary national standards.
In his speech today, he also tsk-tsked Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York for voting for the NCLB law in 2001, and he urged her and others supporters of it to admit their “error.”
Richardson also offers some proposals to make college more affordable, including loan forgiveness for participation in national service programs.
Also today, Sen. Clinton unveiled her own college affordability plan--the cornerstone of which is a tuition tax credit of $3,500.