State of Rhode Island Archives: on Education

Bob Flanders: Parental school choice: federal funds follow students

• Support and provide technical assistance to schools and educators striving to implement high standards and superior student performance.
• Secure resources and technical support to close the performance gap facing disadvantaged children.
• Create education-innovation labs to develop new ways to deliver quality educational programs.
• Promote parental school choice by having federal funds follow students more closely and thus create opportunities for students to attend schools that best meet their educational needs.
• Earmark a percentage of federal infrastructure funds for school modernization and security.

Bob Flanders: Simplify aid; subsidize students who can't afford college

Which college to attend and how to pay for it is a stressful decision facing Rhode Island families and students. We must make the progress easier by looking to simplify aid forms, streamline the loan process, provide families with market information about schools they are considering, and promote an accreditation process that provides students with affordable options.

Gina Raimondo: Treat teachers as professionals; rebuild school classrooms

As governor, Gina will:
• Treat teachers as the professionals they are, by providing them with the resources and support they need to be successful, and most importantly, listen to their ideas and incorporate their feedback into educational priorities.
• Invest in extracurricular and enrichment opportunities, which are essential to a quality education.
• Rebuild crumbling schools and classrooms, and improve them with access to technology and personalized learning tools like tablets and laptops.

Barry Hinckley: Give a grant to every family to choose school

Hinckley, who sends his children to Parochial school, said it was important to him that his children be raised in faith. He then pointed out that many families can't afford to send their children to private school and are stuck with failing schools. He proposed giving a grant to every family in Rhode Island, so parents can choose which schools they send their children.

Sheldon Whitehouse: Extend "Race to the Top" to middle school

Hinckley, who sends his children to Parochial school, said it was important to him that his children be raised in faith. He then pointed out that many families can't afford to send their children to private school and are stuck with failing schools. He proposed giving a grant to every family in Rhode Island, so parents can choose which schools they send their children.

Mark Zaccaria: Supports vouchers but not charters

A: No.

Q: Do you support federal funding for universal pre-K programs?

A: No.

Q: Do you support federal funding for charter schools?

A: No.

Q: Do you support federal funding for K-12 school vouchers?

A: Yes.

Q: Do you support federal financial aid for college students?

A: Yes. Federal aid for tuition to college students should be merit scholarships, not general entitlements.

Lincoln Chafee: Fund special education before tax cuts for the wealthy

CHAFEE: You want to return any kind of tax cuts you can to the citizens and every politician likes to do that. That’s popular. But at the same time, I wanted to be responsible, having been a mayor and then going to the Senate, my view was let’s help the property taxpayer before we help the tax cuts for the wealthy. The way we do that is fund a program that the Congress started in 1970 for the special education that helps in our schools which is all the property taxes and fund that special education. We promised in 1970 to get to 40%. We’re not above 20%. So I said before we cut the taxes for the wealthy, let’s fund this special education program. Get it up to the 40% we promised back in 1970, and that goes right to the property taxpayer before we help the wealthy.

LAFFEY: First, Chafee failed on funding the IDEA program. Two, he has voted for No Child Left Behind which is about $27 billion and counting unfunded mandate that’s going on seemingly forever.

Stephen Laffey: Chafee failed on funding the IDEA program and the NCLB Act

CHAFEE: You want to return any kind of tax cuts you can to the citizens and every politician likes to do that. That’s popular. But at the same time, I wanted to be responsible, having been a mayor and then going to the Senate, my view was let’s help the property taxpayer before we help the tax cuts for the wealthy. The way we do that is fund a program that the Congress started in 1970 for the special education that helps in our schools which is all the property taxes and fund that special education. We promised in 1970 to get to 40%. We’re not above 20%. So I said before we cut the taxes for the wealthy, let’s fund this special education program. Get it up to the 40% we promised back in 1970, and that goes right to the property taxpayer before we help the wealthy.

LAFFEY: First, Chafee failed on funding the IDEA program. Two, he has voted for No Child Left Behind which is about $27 billion and counting unfunded mandate that’s going on seemingly forever.

Carl Sheeler: Educate children about sex rather than moralizing

Indicate which principles you support regarding education.
• Support national standards and testing of public school students.
• Support sexual education programs that include information on abstinence, contraceptives, and HIV/STD prevention methods.
• Sheeler adds, “Practical realities of equitable education compensation weighed with quality and measurable results. It is more important to educate children of risk & responsibility of sex then moralize.”