Third Bush-Kerry debate: on Education
John Kerry:
FactCheck: Bush increased Pell Grants, but not as promised
KERRY: They've cut the Pell Grants.BUSH: He said we cut Pell Grants. We've increased Pell Grants by a million students. That's a fact.
KERRY: But you know why the Pell Grants have gone up in their numbers? Because more people qualify for them
because they don't have money. They're not getting the $5,100 the president promised them . They're getting less money.
FACT CHECK: Bush was correct. Department of Education figures show the number of Pell Grants awarded increased by 1.3 million.
Spending for Pell Grants grew by $4.7 billion. That's some "cut." It is true that during the 2000 presidential campaign Bush promised to increase the maximum size of Pell Grants to $5,100 for first-year students, a promise that remains unfulfilled.
The maximum grant has risen from $3,300 at the time Bush made that promise, but only to $4,050. Under Bush's proposed 2005 budget the maximum grant would remain frozen there for most students for the third year in a row.
Source: Analysis of Third Bush-Kerry debate(FactCheck.org Ad-Watch)
George W. Bush:
Only a liberal would say 49% more funding isn't enough
KERRY: We have a long distance yet to travel in terms of fairness in America. I don't know how you can govern in this country when you look at New York City and you see that 50 percent of the black males there are unemployed, when you see 40 percent of
Hispanic children dropping out of high school. Yet the president who talks about No Child Left Behind refused to fully fund -- by $28 billion -- that particular program. The president reneged on his promise to fund No Child Left Behind. BUSH:
Only a liberal senator from Massachusetts would say that a 49 percent increase in funding for education was not enough. But more importantly, we've reformed the system to make sure that we solve problems early. He talked about the unemployed.
Absolutely we've got to make sure they get educated. He talked about children whose parents don't speak English as a first language? Absolutely we've got to make sure they get educated. And that's what the No Child Left Behind Act does.
Source: [Xref Kerry] Third Bush-Kerry debate, in Tempe AZ
George W. Bush:
Reading is the new civil right
You cannot solve a problem unless you diagnose the problem. And we weren't diagnosing problems. And therefore just kids were being shuffled through the school. And guess who would get shuffled through? Children whose parents wouldn't speak English
as a first language just move through. Many inner-city kids just move through. We've stopped that practice now by measuring early. And when we find a problem, we spend extra money to correct it. I remember a lady in Houston, Texas, told me, "Reading
is the new civil right," and she's right. In order to make sure people have jobs for the 21st century, we've got to get it right in the education system, and we're beginning to close a minority achievement gap now. You see, we'll never be able to
compete in the 21st century unless we have an education system that doesn't quit on children, an education system that raises standards, an education that makes sure there's excellence in every classroom.
Source: Third Bush-Kerry debate, in Tempe AZ
George W. Bush:
We've increased Pell Grants by a million students
BUSH: We've increased Pell Grants by a million students.KERRY: But you know why the Pell Grants have gone up in their numbers? Because more people qualify for them because they don't have money.
But they're not getting the $5,100 the president promised them. They're getting less money. We have more people who qualify. That's not what we want.
Source: Third Bush-Kerry debate, in Tempe AZ
George W. Bush:
Community college provides the skills to people to fill jobs
BUSH: Education is how to make sure we've got a work force that's productive and competitive. I've got more to do to continue to raise standards, to continue to reward teachers in school districts that are working, to emphasize math and science in the
classrooms, to continue to expand Pell Grants, to make sure that people have an opportunity to start their career with a college diploma. Here's some trade adjustment assistance money for you to go to a community college in your neighborhood, a community
college which is providing the skills necessary to fill the jobs.KERRY: Bush's cut job training money-$1 billion was cut, they only added a little bit back this year because it's an election year.
They've cut the Pell Grants and the Perkins Loans to help kids be able to go to college. They've cut the training money.
Source: Third Bush-Kerry debate, in Tempe AZ
John Kerry:
People qualify for Pell Grants because they don't have money
BUSH: We've increased Pell Grants by a million students.KERRY: But you know why the Pell Grants have gone up in their numbers? Because more people qualify for them because they don't have money.
But they're not getting the $5,100 the president promised them. They're getting less money. We have more people who qualify. That's not what we want.
Source: [Xref Bush[ Third Bush-Kerry debate, in Tempe AZ
John Kerry:
Bush's cut the Pell Grants and the Perkins Loans for college
BUSH: Education is how to make sure we've got a work force that's productive and competitive. I've got more to do to continue to raise standards, to continue to reward teachers in school districts that are working, to emphasize math and science in the
classrooms, to continue to expand Pell Grants, to make sure that people have an opportunity to start their career with a college diploma. Here's some trade adjustment assistance money for you to go to a community college in your neighborhood, a community
college which is providing the skills necessary to fill the jobs.KERRY: Bush's cut job training money-$1 billion was cut, they only added a little bit back this year because it's an election year.
They've cut the Pell Grants and the Perkins Loans to help kids be able to go to college. They've cut the training money.
Source: [Xref Bush[ Third Bush-Kerry debate, in Tempe AZ
John Kerry:
Bush broke promise to pay for No Child Left Behind
KERRY: We have a long distance yet to travel in terms of fairness in America. I don't know how you can govern in this country when you look at New York City and you see that 50 percent of the black males there are unemployed, when you see 40 percent of
Hispanic children dropping out of high school. Yet the president who talks about No Child Left Behind refused to fully fund -- by $28 billion -- that particular program. The president reneged on his promise to fund No Child Left Behind. BUSH:
Only a liberal senator from Massachusetts would say that a 49 percent increase in funding for education was not enough. But more importantly, we've reformed the system to make sure that we solve problems early. He talked about the unemployed.
Absolutely we've got to make sure they get educated. He talked about children whose parents don't speak English as a first language? Absolutely we've got to make sure they get educated. And that's what the No Child Left Behind Act does.
Source: Third Bush-Kerry debate, in Tempe AZ