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Candidates' Positions and Views |
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for:
U.S. Senate, Arkansas |
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November 2004 General Election |
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Candidates positions and views on other Issues where information is available: |
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The report below lists the candidate responses to Education issue questions. The responses were provided by Jim Holt, Blanche Lambert Lincoln, Gene Mason, Mark Pryor and Glen Schwarz or were obtained from their websites. The candidates select the issues and questions for which they want to provide a response. The first link is a report of all the issues and questions made available to the candidates. Many issues and questions had no responses - links are only provided where we have information. If there are many candidates for this office, you may have to scroll down to compare all responses. |
| Education |
Jim Holt - R
Website
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Blanche Lambert Lincoln - D
Website
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Gene Mason - G
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| No Child Left Behind Act, a General Statement |
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When the No Child Left Behind Act was adopted with my support in 2002, I was optimistic that this important education reform plan would give rural public schools the resources they need to meet new accountability standards. However, President Bush and his allies in Congress have placed education reform on a starvation diet. Two consecutive years of funding shortfalls while accountability measures are being forced upon our public schools has created yet another unfunded mandate.
The new spending bill passed by Congress in January raised funding for Title I programs by $727 million above last year's level but I believe this is still woefully short of the funds needed to effectively implement No Child Left Behind.
In February, the President proposed to increase Title I funding for disadvantaged students by $1 billion, which is $7.1 billion less than the funding authorized for Title I in the No Child Left Behind Act. For Arkansas, this means that 17,978 children in the state would be denied educational services they were promised.
The Title I program is critical for disadvantaged students because it targets federal resources to the poorest school districts where federal dollars are needed most. In Arkansas, this funding is crucial because nearly 40% of students attend Title I schools. These schools depend on these important funds to upgrade technology, provide professional development for teachers, and implement school wide programs.
Source: Candidate Website (10/02/2004) |
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| Student Loans, Scholarships and Pell Grants |
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I believe we should continue to build on our success regarding federal student financial assistance. One of the most worthwhile financial assistance programs is the Pell grant. Since its inception in 1972, students nationwide have received enormous benefits from Pell grants, so I think we need to continue to make a larger investment in this area. I have consistently supported efforts to increase the maximum Pell grant by $450, which would give close to 2,000 more Arkansans access to financial assistance for higher education.
Source: Candidate Website (10/02/2004) |
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| No Child Left Behind Act Federal Funding Level |
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No, see above.
Source: Candidate Website (10/02/2004) |
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| Special Education |
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When the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act (or IDEA) was enacted in 1975, it brought with it the promise that children with disabilities would have access to the same quality education as non-disabled students. Over the last thirty years, IDEA has advanced the inclusion of students with disabilities into general education classrooms and has given nearly six million students nationwide access to services that address their special needs. When Congress passed IDEA nearly 30 years ago they committed to providing states with 40 percent of the funding necessary to implement this law. Much to my dismay, Congress has failed our schools and the students they serve by providing them with a meager 19 percent of the funding as of FY 2004. I believe that schools have waited long enough for the federal government to fulfill the promise made to them so many years ago.
I am proud that the Senate made full funding for IDEA a priority, and I look forward to working with my colleagues throughout the appropriations process to make full funding a reality. There are several important aspects of this bill, which will improve the educational experience of students, parents, and teachers. I am pleased that this bill will reduce the paperwork burden on teachers. I have heard from many special education teachers in my state of Arkansas that spend an inordinate amount of time on paperwork and this legislation would provide them with welcome relief so that they can focus on student performance.
I would also like to reinforce that every single child's learning experience is impacted by their community and school environment. Let us not forget that children with disabilities contribute an extraordinary amount to that learning environment. Students with disabilities deserve every opportunity to achieve educational success so that they can take on productive jobs and lead independent lives. IDEA is a critical law in ensuring that these opportunities are available and I believe [Response was truncated to maximum response length of 2000 characters.]
Source: Candidate Website (10/02/2004) |
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| These are available issue topics for which there were no responses. |
| Education, a General Statement |
| Sex Education and Birth Control Options |
| Evolution and Intelligent Design Education |
| Gay and Lesbian Orientation Education |
| Religion in Public Schools |
| Public Schools K-12 |
| "Under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance |
| Local Control Over Education |
| Teacher Textbook Selection |
| Private School Vouchers |
| Charter Schools |
| Standardized Testing |
| Teacher Tenure |
| Improving Education |
| Higher Education |
| Education Tax Credits |
| Teacher Unions |
| Department of Education |
| Pre-School |
| Head Start |
| High Schools |
| Adult Education |
| Dropouts |
| Community Colleges |
| Classroom Size |
| Extended Learning Time |
| After-School Programs |
| Parental Involvement |
| Computers in Schools |
| Federal Mandates |
| Federal Funding of Private Schools |
| Teacher Pay |
| Teacher Standards |
| Student Standards |
| National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) |
| Education Global Superiority |
| Junk Food Vending Machines in Public Schools |
| Education Gap with Other Countries |
| School Choice |
| Home Schooling |
| Magnet Schools |
| Rural Schools |
| Summer School |
| Boy-Girl Achievement Gap |
| Black-White Achievement Gap |
| Title IX 'Equal Opportunities for Girls' |
| Bilingual Education |
| Math and Science |
| Art and Music |
| School Safety |
| Drugs in Schools |
| Education |
Mark Pryor - D
Website
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Glen Schwarz - L
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| Education, a General Statement |
We all know that children are Arkansas' most valuable resource, but the vision for Arkansas shared by so many will only become a reality when we focus on providing students with the best learning tools available. We can do this by re-examining traditional ideas and generating new ones.
I support traditional ideas, like raising teachers' salaries to keep our best and brightest educators in the state. I support providing our high school students with the opportunity to further their education at institutions of higher learning, regardless of their economic background. Also, I will work hard to increase Title I funding for disadvantaged children and reduce class size for students in first through third grades.
But the system also needs an influx of new ideas, such as providing all young children with early developmental skills that are needed for future success. As your senator, I support increased funding to Arkansas schools for modernization and repair as well as investments in professional development for teachers so they can better educate their students.
As the father of two young children, I know what a key role parents play in their children's education. I believe that an investment in education is the greatest investment we can make, not only for our children, but also for the future of our state.
Source: pryor.senate.gov/issues/education.cfm (04/21/2008) |
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| Public Schools K-12 |
I will work hard to increase Title I funding for disadvantaged children and reduce class size for students in first through third grades. But the system also needs an influx of new ideas, such as providing all young children with early developmental skills that are needed for future success. As your senator, I support increased funding to Arkansas schools for modernization and repair as well as investments in professional development for teachers so they can better educate their students.
Source: pryor.senate.gov/issues/education.cfm (04/21/2008) |
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| Improving Education |
One of the best long-term economic investments we can make is through a renewed commitment to education. To make a lasting difference in our state, especially in our most economically depressed areas, we must improve the quality of education to prepare our children to compete in an ever-changing environment of industry and technology.
I support traditional ideas, like raising teachers' salaries to keep our best and brightest educators in the state. I support providing our high school students with the opportunity to further their education at institutions of higher learning, regardless of their economic background. Also, I will work hard to increase Title I funding for disadvantaged children and reduce class size for students in first through third grades.
But the system also needs an influx of new ideas, such as providing all young children with early developmental skills that are needed for future success. As your senator, I support increased funding to Arkansas schools for modernization and repair as well as investments in professional development for teachers so they can better educate their students.
One of the best long-term economic investments we can make is through a renewed commitment to education. To make a lasting difference in our state, especially in our most economically depressed areas, we must improve the quality of education to prepare our children to compete in an ever-changing environment of industry and technology.
Source: pryor.senate.gov/public/index.cfm (01/04/2011) |
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| Higher Education |
I support providing our high school students with the opportunity to further their education at institutions of higher learning, regardless of their economic background.
Source: pryor.senate.gov/issues/education.cfm (04/21/2008) |
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| Teacher Pay |
I support traditional ideas, like raising teachers' salaries to keep our best and brightest educators in the state.
Source: pryor.senate.gov/issues/education.cfm (04/21/2008) |
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| Math and Science |
One of the best long-term economic investments we can make is through a renewed commitment to education. To make a lasting difference in our state, especially in our most economically depressed areas, we must improve the quality of education to prepare our children to compete in an ever-changing environment of industry and technology.
Source: pryor.senate.gov/issues/economic.cfm (04/21/2008) |
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| These are available issue topics for which there were no responses. |
| No Child Left Behind Act, a General Statement |
| Sex Education and Birth Control Options |
| Evolution and Intelligent Design Education |
| Gay and Lesbian Orientation Education |
| Religion in Public Schools |
| "Under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance |
| Local Control Over Education |
| Teacher Textbook Selection |
| Private School Vouchers |
| Charter Schools |
| Standardized Testing |
| Teacher Tenure |
| Student Loans, Scholarships and Pell Grants |
| Education Tax Credits |
| Teacher Unions |
| Department of Education |
| Pre-School |
| Head Start |
| High Schools |
| Adult Education |
| Dropouts |
| Community Colleges |
| Classroom Size |
| Extended Learning Time |
| After-School Programs |
| Parental Involvement |
| Computers in Schools |
| Federal Mandates |
| Federal Funding of Private Schools |
| No Child Left Behind Act Federal Funding Level |
| Teacher Standards |
| Student Standards |
| National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) |
| Education Global Superiority |
| Junk Food Vending Machines in Public Schools |
| Education Gap with Other Countries |
| School Choice |
| Home Schooling |
| Special Education |
| Magnet Schools |
| Rural Schools |
| Summer School |
| Boy-Girl Achievement Gap |
| Black-White Achievement Gap |
| Title IX 'Equal Opportunities for Girls' |
| Bilingual Education |
| Art and Music |
| School Safety |
| Drugs in Schools |