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Lt. Gov. Ruth Ann Minner,
D
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Former State Rep. John Burris,
R
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Wants 90 percent of new state
education dollars to go directly into classrooms, for
purposes of putting reading specialists in every elementary
school, adding more mathematics teachers in middle schools,
and hiring more teachers in kindergarten through grade 3.
Proposes paying for new programs before and after school, as
well as on Saturdays and during summer. Also proposes
increasing teacher pay and expanding scholarship programs for
future teachers. Supports equalizing state funding for
repairing and upgrading school buildings in poor and wealthy
districts.
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Former state House majority leader under then-Gov. Pierre S.
"Pete" du Pont IV proposes funding to reduce class sizes.
Supports state's recently passed Neighborhood Schools Act,
aimed at shortening student bus rides to school. Proposes
increased funding for on- and off-site alternative-learning
programs for students with disciplinary or behavioral
problems. Calls for early-childhood-intervention programs for
at-risk children as well as improved access to child care for
such children.
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Gov.
Frank O'Bannon, D
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U.S. Rep. David M. McIntosh, R
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Points to approval during his four-year tenure of new
student academic standards and progress toward creating new
state accountability system. Proposes additional spending
next year for K-3 reading programs and middle school math
programs, and also for teacher professional development on
such topics as aligning instruction with standards and
preparing for using technology to improve teaching and
learning.
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This
member of education committee of U.S. House supports a state
law that would authorize charter schools. Wants to reform
state's standardized-testing system by making exams shorter,
administering tests in every grade instead of skipping some,
making scores available in weeks instead of months, and
making results more understandable to the public. Also
proposes income-tax credit for teachers to help defray the
costs of professional development.
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State Treasurer Bob Holden, D
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U.S. Rep. Jim Talent, R
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Opposes vouchers. Proposes
instituting a $5,000 annual bonus for teachers who receive
National Board for Professional Teaching Standards
certification, and 10 percent annual salary bonus for
board-certified educators who mentor other candidates. Wants
to abolish social promotion and provide additional $70
million over four years for remedial programs. Hopes to
reduce size of grades K-3 classes to student-to-teacher ratio
of 17-to-1, down from 22-to-1. Would seek to increase the
participation rate in Parents as Teachers program, which
provides low-income families with information and skills to
prepare children from birth to age 5 for school.
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Supports vouchers for children in low-performing schools.
Aims to streamline the way in which gaming money is allocated
to state's education fund. Wants to institute remedial
reading program for 3rd graders. Would mandate phonics
curriculum in grades K-2. Aims to track juvenile offenders'
records, remove violent or disruptive students from class,
and begin intervention programs for troubled
youths.
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State
Auditor Mark O'Keefe, D
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Lt. Gov. Judy Martz, R
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Wants to reduce class sizes in
primary grades— from 30 to 25 pupils per class in grade
5, for example—and raise state's share of education
funding to 70 percent from its current level of 63 percent.
Sees need for children to have high-speed Internet access in
schools. Supports more professional development for teachers
in implementing standards and using technology in their
classrooms.
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Proposes several changes aimed at recruiting and
retaining high-quality teachers, including setting aside $1.5
million in next biennial budget to forgive student loans of
teachers who work in high-shortage areas for seven years.
Wants to give schools more flexibility to move money between
accounts so they could increase teacher pay. Calls for
supporting schools in implementing merit-pay plans, and
increasing bonuses for teachers who receive certification
from National Board for Professional Teaching
Standards.
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Gov. Jeanne Shaheen, D
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Former U.S. Sen. Gordon
Humphrey, R
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Points to her efforts to forge a
temporary solution to state's school funding crisis. Favors
establishing video lotteries at state's four racetracks to
provide more permanent source of new funding for schools. Has
shied away from offering more comprehensive finance plan
until commission she appointed to examine school funding
proposals finishes work in December. Favors making schools
more accountable for improving student performance.
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Wants to address school finance
woes by holding spending down and better managing state
government. Would also push for constitutional amendment to
keep wealthier towns from having to pay higher state property
taxes to finance education. Also vows to be state's first
governor to get a charter school off the ground.
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State Attorney General Michael F. Easley,
D
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Former Mayor Richard Vinroot of Charlotte,
R
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Proposes an academic program for
preschoolers to go along with state's new early-childhood
initiative, Smart Start, and would pay for it with a lottery.
Would also spend some $200 million from that lottery to
reduce class sizes in lower grades. Opposes vouchers, saying
they would drain needed money from public schools. Wants
school curriculum to include character education. Would
require every local school board to review or
develop—and strictly enforce—a dress code policy.
Supports expanding and improving alternative disciplinary
programs for seriously disruptive students.
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Proposes teacher pay raises
based on merit and opposes teacher tenure. Supports
competency testing for all public school teachers and regrets
exemptions to existing testing requirements that have been
allowed so far. Proposes Florida-style plan for giving public
schools individual letter grades and providing state-financed
vouchers to children attending failing schools. Wants
homeschooling parents to benefit from any help for education
costs available to other parents. Favors doing away with
social promotion. Has suggested that state's early-childhood
initiative, Smart Start, be changed to one that emphasizes
academic skills for disadvantaged preschoolers rather than
more and better child care.
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State Attorney
General Heidi
Heitkamp, D
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John H. Hoeven, R
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Proposes action to retain
classroom teachers by paying them annual 2 percent
cost-of-living increases in addition to a $3,200 catch-up
raise, for average salary increase of almost $4,000 over two
years. Money for raises would come from state aid and be at
discretion of local school boards. But plan would encourage
boards to pay teachers more: Boards that put most of money
into raises would be rewarded with matching funds from a
$15.5 million fund paid for with tobacco-settlement money.
Wants $500,000 "master teacher" pilot project that would form
basis of statewide mentoring program for teachers. Favors
state help to pay for additional professional development day
for teachers each school year. Sets goal of at least one
computer wired to Internet for each classroom within four
years.
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Former president and CEO of Bank
of North Dakota proposes teacher salary increase of $3,500
over two years, paid for without relying on
tobacco-settlement dollars and at discretion of local school
boards. Wants to connect schools to Internet and would push
for more discounts under federal E-rate program. Favors state
funding for additional professional development day annually
for teachers, targeted to technology training. Supports
allowing teachers to continue to teach while drawing
retirement benefits. Would assist schools in voluntary
long-term planning by reimbursing cost of facilitators to
work with parents, educators, and community members. Would
push federal government to subsidize 40 percent of special
education costs.
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Former
U.S. Rep. Bill Orton, D
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Gov. Michael O. Leavitt,
R
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Tax
lawyer and former three-term congressman is mounting
low-budget campaign against incumbent. Education plan calls
for reducing class sizes by five students in every classroom
in state. Also wants to increase average teacher salary to
$45,000, but while extending their contracts from 186 to 200
days a year. Calls for districts to adopt standardized codes
for student dress, grooming, and behavior. Argues that
governor has failed to significantly raise achievement in
eight years in office. Promises to serve only one
term.
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Popular chief executive has
large war chest in seeking third four-year term. He points to
education record that includes establishment of charter
schools, higher spending, reduced class sizes, and extra
money for schools with large numbers of disadvantaged
students. Plans for a new term include oversight of new
accountability measures being implemented by state board of
education. Also calls for providing more money to replace
outdated textbooks and further reduce class size to statewide
average of 20 students from 21.4 today. Endorsed by Utah
Education Association, the dominant statewide teachers'
union, despite some dissent from its members.
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Gov.
Howard Dean, D
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Former State Rep. Ruth Dwyer,
R
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Medical doctor and former lieutenant governor who
succeeded to governorship upon predecessor's death in 1991,
Dean is seeking his fifth two-year term. Staunchly defends
state's controversial school finance overhaul, Act 60, taking
heat from businesses and wealthy property owners who have
seen their property taxes increase dramatically for past
three years. Also has promoted initiatives on school safety,
public school choice, and children's health care.
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Former legislator, local school
board member, and farmer ran against Gov. Dean in 1998, but
lost by wide margin. Calls for state charter school law along
lines of Arizona, where schools are given 15-year contracts
and much autonomy. Also wants to create a school choice plan
allowing students to attend public, private, or religious
schools at public expense. Continues to lobby against Act 60,
and calls for more accountability for money distributed
through that 1997 finance measure.
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Gov. Gary Locke, D
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John Carlson, R
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Touts four-year record of
increasing state spending to add teachers, build and repair
schools, help districts provide "extended" learning
activities beyond regular school schedule, enhance school
security, and create a "K-20" telecommunications network. Led
effort that created college scholarships for low- and
middle-income students who graduate in top 15 percent of
their high school classes. Proposes paying exemplary teachers
more to encourage other teachers to improve. Favors financial
incentives and alternative routes to teacher certification to
enlarge pool of prospective teachers. Supports Nov. 7 citizen
initiatives that would permit creation of charter schools,
direct state money to help districts lower class sizes or add
extended learning activities, and guarantee teachers annual
cost-of-living raises.
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Conservative activist and former
radio talk-show host spearheaded campaign for 1998 citizen
initiative that banned affirmative action in college
admissions. Proposes hiring 4,000 teachers to relieve crowded
classrooms, paid for by cutting jobs of 4,000 state
employees. Favors implementing alternative certification to
attract teachers from other occupations. Would increase
teacher pay to keep pace with inflation, but would expect
teachers to meet new performance criteria. Supports making it
easier for teachers to remove disruptive students from
classrooms. Charges that Gov. Locke has done nothing to
reduce class sizes and failed to get teachers as large a pay
hike as he had promised. Endorses Nov. 7 citizen initiative
to allow charter schools, but opposes initiatives that would
guarantee teacher pay raises and direct state money to
districts to lower class size or add extended learning
activities.
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U.S. Rep. Bob Wise, D
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Gov. Cecil Underwood, R
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Would pay for college scholarship program approved by
legislature last year that would provide grants to all
students whose grades qualified them. Proposes development of
a comprehensive labor-market information system available to
education institutions and others. Wants to encourage greater
local business and labor involvement in public schools,
including establishment of apprenticeship and tech-prep
programs. Advocates more instruction in foreign languages and
cultures. Favors character education. Wants to strengthen
vocational and entrepreneurial education and expand student
apprenticeship programs.
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As
long as budget remains tight, would continue funding for
need-based college scholarships, rather than grants to all
students whose grades qualified them. Favors cutting-edge
computer technology in schools, which he has supported with
more computers in grades 7-12 and upgraded computers in
elementary schools. Cites his initiatives for improving
school safety, including establishment of a 24-hour
school-violence "tip line" and training for 14,000 staff
members in detecting warning signs of student violence.
Disputes opponent's claim that teacher pay raise of $2,268
over past three years is "modest," pointing to state's rank
of fourth in nation for average teacher salary relative to
its per capita income.
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