As an issue, education is a vortex, sucking in all other issues. As one candidate noted, youth are 25% of the population, but 100% of the future. However, that stump-speech attitude doesn't necessarily translate into policy. Whether a candidate chooses to emphasize education, as well as the manner in which he or she does it, speaks volumes for the candidate's true value of education as an issue.

In compiling this page, we've looked at what the candidate has officially said about education, as well as what actions they've taken in the past, and we've tried to read between those lines. Has the candidate sponsored any legislation on the issue? How does their economic view affect their solutions to creating a more equitable educational system? Will the candidate really make education an issue? What aspect of education is the candidate focusing on?


What's the Issue?

Where to begin? From Pre-K to Higher Ed, each age group has its own set of problems and possible solutions. While some candidates choose to focus on early education and others on higher education, all candidates emphasize equal access to quality schools.

At the heart of most of these issues, however, is the role of the federal government. Recent laws have given the feds a stronger hand in education by regulating schools with testing and providing school choice vouchers. However, some candidates believe that the government is not equipped to adequately oversee such a tremendous system. But with the federal government footing part of the bill for the nation’s schools, the desire for accountability and control is logical. Level of funding will always be an issue, but it is joined by newer issues, such as whether the federal government can and should be supporting school voucher programs.

Supporters of school voucher programs believe that competition between schools for students and tuition will create stronger schools-- many also like the limited role for the federal government that the voucher program entails. Opponents believe that vouchers weaken the public school systems, leaving the children still in public schools at a disadvantage. Furthermore, they argue that the students left in schools will include a disproportionate amount of minorities.

Why Do I Care?

Well, for one, education is something that all of us go through, many of us still are in, and most of us will someday have to deal with again if we have children.

For those of us with college loans, new laws may be up for signing that change the way loans are paid back. And those looking to finance future education might want to keep an eye on promises of federal grant increases—those helpful grant increases may be playing a part in driving up the cost of college.

(And need we point out that a well-educated citizenry is critical to a vibrant, forward-thinking, economically sound nation...)


What are the Candidates Saying?

Joe Biden

Joe Biden emphasizes access to higher education in his education policy. His plan involves increasing Pell Grants (these federal grants are given to neediest students and do not require repayment), creating a $3000 refundable tax credit to families making up to $166,000/year, and establishing 14 years of free public education including 2 year community college. He has paid lip service to other aspects of education, such as reducing class size, ensuring accurate resources and improving teacher pay. Past votes include yeses to more spending on education and allowing tax-deductible education savings accounts and no on school vouchers in Washington D.C. His sponsorship of education-related bills is rare.

Sam Brownback (no longer a candidate)

Sam Brownback is a believer in closing the gap between poorly performing schools and their better-educating counterparts, specifically by using school choice and voucher programs. He is a supporter of NCLB and believes in flexible federal funding to states. Brownback is a proponent of states taking the lead in education, not federal government, and he co-sponsored the recently introduced APlus Act to this effect. He has no prior record of introducing bills pertaining to education.

Hillary Clinton

Hillary Clinton focuses her educational priorities on regulatory measures to increase resources to poor schools, reduce class size, and ensure schools are a psychologically and physically healthy place to learn. She has a track record of attempted improvement, with her “America’s Better Classrooms Act” and “The Healthy, High Performance Schools Act of 2001” though the former has yet to make it to a vote. Clinton prefers to focus her educational policy efforts on funding and providing accurate resources rather than structural changes in the way education is delivered.

John Cox

Lawyer and community activist John Cox has a single-minded approach to education—education should not be overseen by the federal government. Cox would like to do away with No Child Left Behind and give both local and state governments, as well as the market, responsibility for educating the nation’s youth. To that end, he favors school vouchers, which would increase competition among schools. He has served on a local school board.

Chris Dodd

Named Head Start’s “Senator of the Decade”, Chris Dodd has made an impression on some areas of education. Having used his role as Senator to fight for expanding Head Start’s program and funding, his position on education is clear: access to all, early on. Part of his education plan includes universal access to quality pre-school for every 4 year-old, teacher incentives, federal standards to make US schools globally competitive (these standards can be adopted at will, but funding will depend on it), and more competitive interest rates for higher education funding. He has a track record of sponsoring legislation to tighten education standards and provide easier access to school loans—in 2007 alone he has sponsored at least 5 bills addressing education, though all have yet to make it to debate.

John Edwards

John Edwards had little time in the Senate—but one six-year term—to bring forward any meaningful legislation. He was unable to do this in the area of education. His educational philosophy seems to be better funding in general, though he missed a vote on a failed amendment to a 2003 appropriations bill to increase funding for No Child Left Behind, a financial solution that he supported. He opposes school vouchers and proposes one free year of college in return for 10 hours of community service work.

Rudy Giuliani

Having headed the nation’s largest school system, Rudy Giuliani has experience when it comes to education, and under-funded education at that. While he did not achieve all of his intended policies while Mayor of New York (he is a proponent of vouchers and school choice, for example), he did work on lowering student-teacher ratios and attempted to shake up the Board of Education by abolishing it and replacing it with a Mayor- appointed Commissioner of Education (this never happened). He admires creative solutions to problems in education, such as the experimental voucher program in Milwaukee. For what it’s worth, he reinstated arts programs in New York’s public schools.

Al Gore

During his time as VP, Gore and then-President Clinton signed into law Goals 2000, a package of lofty education goals ranging from the obvious to impossible, with plenty in between. One highlight that has remained consistent is incentives and accountability—for both teachers and schools. Gore favors high school exit testing, as well as the testing of teachers. He also supports hiring of 100,000 new teachers and has a track record of working to get internet connectivity in every classroom. Gore does not believe in school vouchers, claming that they cost just as much and still retain federal government involvement.


Mike Gravel

While Mike Gravel is well aware that American education is faltering, he is unclear as to how he would resolve that issue if elected. He has spoken out against No Child Left Behind, but short of promising increased funding, Mike Gravel has presented little in the way of a plan to improve education.

Chuck Hagel

Education does not appear to be one of Chuck Hagel’s priorities. During his time in the Senate, he has sponsored or co-sponsored only a very few bills that even tangentially address education. His voting record on issues of education tends to be fairly black and white—he typically voted no on bills that required extra funds and yes on bills that support market incentives, such as school vouchers and education savings accounts.

Mike Huckabee

Mike Huckabee’s approach to education is that while public education should be supported through funding, testing, and charter schools, it should be the public education that is supported, not private schools through voucher programs. Having sent his own children to public school (unlike many of his political colleagues), Huckabee believes that with continued funding and standards, public schools are an excellent school option. As a bass player, Huckabee is a vocal supporter of arts and music education.

Duncan Hunter

Duncan Hunter is concerned about the state of education in the US and proposes removing education mandates from the federal government and giving more power to local and state education authorities. Hunter also emphasizes the role of family in education. He is a proponent of voucher programs and is one of the only candidates to give consideration to the benefits of the 2 million home-schooled children in the US. The majority of education-related bills he's voted on concern religion or access to school prayer, which he supports.

Steve Kubby

On the other end of the spectrum from Mike Huckabee is Steve Kubby who took his own son out of the public school system because of what he believed to be a sub-par education. Kubby is a proponent of a voucher system and strongly believes that freedom of choice would provide parents with the education they want while fortifying and diversifying the educational system as a whole.

John McCain

While an advocate of charter schools and school vouchers, McCain believes that more than the market is needed for schools to produce educated, thoughtful and well-rounded citizens. He’s mentioned starting a corps of retired professionals to tutor children, teaching values in school, and helping unqualified teachers find another career (while rewarding effective teachers). McCain has not overlooked higher education, co-sponsoring the Education A-Plus Bill allowing parents to open tax-free savings account for education and related expenses. He is a proponent of states taking the lead in education.

Barack Obama

Barack Obama’s approach to education focuses on both funding and incentives for teachers as well as broaching a gap between middle and low-income students. While in the Illinois State Senate, he co-sponsored two bills, each of which focused on recruiting and preparing quality teachers for at-need districts. As a US Senator, Obama has sponsored bills such as those that would create innovative learning districts and focus on educating students throughout the summer. In addition, Obama has criticized the anti-intellectualism that he feels permeates some low-income communities.

Ron Paul

In keeping with his limited government stance, Ron Paul believes that education should be the domain of the state. To that end, he believes in abolishing the Department of Education, offering tax credits for families to increase education options, and does not believe in federally mandated testing. He has sponsored several pieces of legislation proposing tax credits for teachers' and students' expenses at all levels of education.


Bill Richardson

Having taken reins of one of the worst state school systems in the country, Richardson cracked the education system into varying parts and needs—increased access to college, teacher efficacy, preparing students for the computerized world—and developed solutions for each part (expanded college scholarship lottery, increased pay and tiered licensing system, and a plan to provide laptops for each 7th grade child). While pro Charter Schools, Richardson believes that the federal and local governments should be providing a solid public education. He believes in fully funding No Child Left Behind and allowing it to be tailored to individuals state’s needs, establishing universal pre-K, and redesigning high schools (eg smaller schools and a curriculum with real world connections).

Mitt Romney

While Mitt Romney’s website does little to expound his views on education, he does have a track record of executive leadership in education while Governor of Massachusetts. In 2005, Romney awarded the first of the John and Abigail Adams Scholarships to roughly the top 25% of each graduating class in Massachusetts public schools for 8 semesters of tuition-free education at Massachusetts state colleges. In addition, he has proposed other measures, such as requiring a science test for all graduating seniors, which lead one to believe that Romney has no qualms about government involvement in education.

Tom Tancredo

Tom Tancredo is firmly on the platform of limited government when it comes to education. Having opposed the No Child Left Behind Act for its one-size-fits-all approach, Tancredo is instead a believer that states need to find their own solutions to meet target goals set in conjunction with the Secretary of Education. Tancredo is an opponent of required testing and bilingual education, wanting to limit the latter to three years maximum. Lastly, Tancredo is a proponent of parental involvement in the classroom.

Fred Thompson

In line with his Federalist nature, Fred Thompson supports keeping the government out of the classroom. He voted against hiring more teachers, instead preferring to continue using the funds for parents of children in low-performing schools to hire tutors. He voted yes on educational savings accounts and school vouchers. Fred Thompson has taken an interest in higher education as well, sponsoring a bill that provided support for certain institutes in higher education that were focused on public service. While the bill did not pass in the house, it did make it to vote. Additionally, he sponsored a passing amendment to a bill that gives Washington DC high school graduates benefits of in-state tuition at school outside of DC. The amendment included historically black colleges and universities as eligible schools.