Candidate Positions on Education

Question: Do you favor or oppose the education program known as "No Child Left Behind?"

Dean Barkley

ANSWER OPTION: Oppose CANDIDATE'S POSITION: "No Child Left Behind" is an unfunded mandate forced upon the states because the federal government simply cannot afford to pay for such a massive expansion of its authority.

Norm Coleman

ANSWER OPTION: Favor CANDIDATE'S POSITION: Coleman's favoring of NCLB doesn't mean he doesn't think it shouldn't be improved. Coleman and Sen. Joe Lieberman, filed the All Students Can Improve Act of 2007. According to a press release the initiative is made up of three parts: "First, ASCA aims to achieve student growth by focusing on what's most important: achieving results in the classroom and ensuring effective teachers. Second, the bill seeks to encourage high standards throughout the country and better align the curriculum of schools across America. And, third, the proposal focuses on closing the achievement gap by holding schools accountable for the performance of all students and providing resources to address this gap," it said. (More Info)

Al Franken

ANSWER OPTION: Oppose CANDIDATE'S POSITION: According to Twin Cities Daily Planet, Franken told a DFL Senate debate "We need early childhood education to close gaps. A kid who's read to who has greater vocabulary than a kid who hasn't been read to. Return on early childhood ed has been proven; we should do that. Have to focus more funds and efforts on the beginning of life and stop investing in prisons and start investing in schools." (More Info)