Note: This chart is divided into three pages of three candidates each
| DEMOCRATIC | REPUBLICAN | |
| Former U.S. Senator | Vice President | Conservative Activist |
"[T]he single most important thing that the national government can do [in education] is to make sure that there’s a good teacher in every classroom in this country.”
— From a Dec. 19, 1999, appearance on “Meet the Press.” |
“We can’t settle for the minor extension of a few existing [education] programs. We can and must nearly double our national commitment to education.”
— From a Jan. 3 speech in Davenport, Iowa. |
“Parents should make educational decisions, not bureaucrats in Washington, D.C.”
— From campaign statement on education. |
| Age: 56 Education: B.A., Princeton University, 1965; Rhodes Scholar, Oxford University, 1967. Career: Professional basketball player, New York Knicks, 1967-77; U.S. senator from New Jersey, 1979-97; college professor, occasional essayist for CBS News, 1996-99. Education Advisers: Not available. |
Age: 51 Education: B.A., Harvard University, 1969; coursework at Vanderbilt University Divinity School, 1971-72; coursework at Vanderbilt University School of Law, 1974-76. Career: Served in the U.S. Army, 1969-71; reporter for The Tennessean newspaper in Nashville, 1971-76; member, U.S. House of Representatives, 1977-85; U.S. senator from Tennessee, 1985-93; presidential candidate 1988; vice president, 1993-present. Education Advisers: Elaine Kamarck, professor at Harvard University; U.S. Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley; National Education Association President Bob Chase; and Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., among others. | Age: 53 Education: Georgetown (Ky.) College, B.A., 1968; Georgetown University, J.D., 1973. Career: Deputy undersecretary for planning, budget, and evaluation, U.S. Department of Education, 1982-85; undersecretary of education, 1985-87; domestic-policy adviser to President Reagan, 1987-88; chairman of the Campaign for Working Families, a conservative political action committee, 1996-99; president of the Family Research Council, a conservative advocacy organization, 1988-99. Education Advisers: None. |
| EDUCATION RECORD | ||
| In the Senate, consistently opposed efforts to cut federal funds for education and supported efforts to raise such spending. Voted for experimental school voucher proposals on at least four occasions during the 1990s. Sponsored bill to support gifted and talented education in 1988 and, in 1990, an act to mandate that colleges make public their graduation rates for student athletes. Supported the 1994 reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. | While in Congress, consistently opposed federal education spending cuts and supported efforts to increase such spending. Voted against school voucher proposals. As vice president, has led efforts to promote technology in schools, including the E-rate program, which subsidizes Internet hookups for schools and libraries. Has been vocal advocate for the 21st Century Community Learning Centers initiative, which provides funds for after-school programs. | Has consistently supported school voucher proposals. Worked with Republican lawmakers on legislation to allow tax-free savings accounts for K-12 education expenses. Also was involved in efforts to pass “parental rights” legislation and a bill to grant states authority to permit the Ten Commandments to be posted in public places, including schools. Supported past efforts to abolish the U.S. Department of Education. |
| EDUCATION PLATFORM | ||
| Proposes a $1.3 billion program to recruit 60,000 new teachers to work in urban and rural schools in impoverished areas through scholarships, loan forgiveness, and professional development, as well as changing certification requirements to allow more second-career teachers into the field. He also calls for a $1 billion initiative to create community centers for school-age children and their parents during nonschool hours, and would create a Senior Volunteers Program to match senior citizens with school- and community-based programs. Proposes a $2 billion-per- year early-care and childhood program. Also, would seek to enroll an additional 400,000 children in Head Start programs, up from the 830,000 children currently participating. | Proposes creating a $115 billion Education Reform Trust Fund, using money from the budget surplus, to support additional federal spending on education over the next 10 years. $50 billion would support providing universal preschool through block grants to states. The trust fund would also help pay for reducing class and school sizes, as well as a new plan to boost the salaries of teachers in high-poverty urban and rural school districts that take aggressive steps to raise teacher standards, provide additional training, and remove poor teachers. All teachers in participating schools would receive up to a $5,000 salary increase; an additional $5,000 would go to teachers with advanced certification. He also proposes creating a national teacher corps that would seek to place 75,000 new teachers in high-need schools. Would require states receiving federal money to test all new teachers for subject-matter knowledge and teaching skills. | Advocates “parental control” over education, including efforts to provide publicly funded vouchers that students could use to pay private school tuition. Would seek to reduce federal control over education, passing along more authority to states and localities on spending federal K-12 dollars. Supports voluntary prayer in public schools. |
| FOR MORE INFORMATION | ||
| Bill Bradley for President Inc. 395 Pleasant Valley Way West Orange, NJ 07052 (973) 731-2100 or (888) 643-9799 www.billbradley.com | Gore 2000 Inc. PO Box 23250 Nashville, TN 37202 (615) 340-3260 www.algore2000.com | Bauer for President 2800 Shirlington Road, Suite 900 Arlington, VA 22206 (703) 933-2000 or 877-B4Bauer www.bauer2k.com |
