Candidates Differ on Education, Vouchers

But the two parties disagree on the best approach to addressing educational needs.

U.S. Senate candidates Democrat Erskine Bowles and Republican Elizabeth Dole each say they want numerous education reforms, such as changes in school funding and teacher training, but debate over private school vouchers has taken center stage.

Bowles says he's staunchly opposed to vouchers, which use public funds to pay private school tuition. Dole has backed away from her previous support of vouchers and is pushing something she calls education tax credits instead.

According to Dole, the tax credits would help alleviate costs for parents with children in private or public schools without taking public school funds. "She does not support diverting money from our public schools," said Dole spokeswoman Mary Brown Brewer.

But others find Dole's position on vouchers unclear at best.

"We haven't heard her specifically say she is not in favor of vouchers," said Eddie Davis, vice president of the N.C. Association of Educators. Even if the tax credits didn't take money away from public schools directly, he added, the money would come from somewhere.

Bowles has stated clearly his opposition to vouchers throughout his campaign and accused Dole of supporting them. But according to Davis, Bowles' record on vouchers isn't so cut and dried.

Bowles formerly served on the board of advisers for the Children's Scholarship Fund, which uses private money to send inner-city children to private school. "Some people did see that organization as the one that was designed to get the voucher movement going," Davis said.

But Barbara Allen, chairwoman of the N.C. Democratic Party, said Bowles in no way supports using public money for private schools. "We should build up our public schools," she said.

Dole's education tax credits reflect her broader goal of increasing parental control of schools. Aside from vouchers, Dole also champions more local control over school funds, Brewer said. "Washington, D.C., does not need to be trying to run our schools by remote control."

Dole has criticized the amount of time teachers spend completing federal paperwork but has thrown her support behind last year's No Child Left Behind Act, which implements standardized testing and accountability standards nationwide.

Dole's other goals include ending the teacher shortage, restoring discipline in the classroom, expanding student loan forgiveness for teachers and providing incentives for qualified teachers to relocate to failing schools. "She has a plan, and (Bowles) doesn't," Brewer said.

But Allen said Bowles has plenty of plans for education. In addition to opposing vouchers, Bowles also is calling for increased education spending, smaller class sizes, school construction to replace mobile classrooms and the expansion of early childhood education and after-school programs. Higher teacher pay, teacher recruitment and teacher retainment top off his education agenda.

Allen said Bowles also will make sure that the No Child Left Behind legislation, which he supports, is implemented fairly. "I think Erskine Bowles will be the politician who will get out there and see that it is done the way it should be done."

Regardless of which candidate college students pick on the Nov. 5 ballot, state representatives from both the two major parties say they should keep education reform in mind. "College students are our future, and they're going to have kids (in schools) and friends there," Allen said.

Jonathan Jordan, spokesman for the N.C. Republican Party, said educational methods affect every facet of society -- not just K-12 students. He said, "We want educated citizens out there making decisions that affect all of us."

The State & National Editor can be reached at stntdesk@unc.edu.