Copyright 2000 The Miami Herald
All Rights Reserved
The Miami Herald
All Rights Reserved
The Miami Herald
October 16, 2000 Monday FINAL EDITION
SECTION: FRONT; Pg. 1A
LENGTH: 1843 words
HEADLINE: BUSH AND GORE OBLIGE VOTERS WITH PROMISES ON EDUCATION
BYLINE: ANALISA NAZARENO
BODY:
Voters are getting an earful on education from the two major presidential candidates, even though the winner will have only limited power to promote change.
When Vice President Al Gore and Texas Gov. George W. Bush say they want to hold schools to high standards, they are simply telling voters exactly what they want to hear.
"The public is squarely for standards," said Susan Fuhrman, dean of the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education. "Parents want standards and accountability, and the candidates sense that."
But despite the candidates' promises to improve school standards, there is little a president can do to improve education directly, since the bulk of money and decisions for public schools are controlled at the local level.
Yet many people have the perception that the president can take significant action. So, as the presidential race enters the homestretch, both candidates are talking about education.
According to a recent survey conducted by Public Agenda, eight out of 10 parents nationwide support raising academic standards, even if it means their children would have to go to summer school, and most support it even if it means holding students back a grade.
And while the same poll shows that six out of 10 parents think schools are too focused on standardized testing, three out of four support using test scores to hold schools accountable for student learning.
The Gore and Bush campaigns - which are more similar than dissimilar on the issue of education - exploit this fact.
Because schools are funded largely with state and local tax dollars - in Miami-Dade County, about 6 percent of the school district's $4 billion comes from the federal government - the president can hope only to influence, rather than dictate, how states educate their students. In Broward County, about the same percentage of the school district's budget comes from federal funds.
"If the president wanted to talk about school reconstruction and improving facilities, the president could authorize monies that can be used for that," said Phil Clark, professor of educational leadership at the University of Florida. "Whatever happens in the state of Florida, as far as education is concerned, comes from Florida."
In Florida, statewide testing, school accountability and private-school tuition vouchers - which the candidates are discussing - are already realities.
This Miami Herald owns the copyright to this story. To read more of this story, please e-mail Analisa and she will e-mail you the clip or send you one via snail mail.
SECTION: FRONT; Pg. 1A
LENGTH: 1843 words
HEADLINE: BUSH AND GORE OBLIGE VOTERS WITH PROMISES ON EDUCATION
BYLINE: ANALISA NAZARENO
BODY:
Voters are getting an earful on education from the two major presidential candidates, even though the winner will have only limited power to promote change.
When Vice President Al Gore and Texas Gov. George W. Bush say they want to hold schools to high standards, they are simply telling voters exactly what they want to hear.
"The public is squarely for standards," said Susan Fuhrman, dean of the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education. "Parents want standards and accountability, and the candidates sense that."
But despite the candidates' promises to improve school standards, there is little a president can do to improve education directly, since the bulk of money and decisions for public schools are controlled at the local level.
Yet many people have the perception that the president can take significant action. So, as the presidential race enters the homestretch, both candidates are talking about education.
According to a recent survey conducted by Public Agenda, eight out of 10 parents nationwide support raising academic standards, even if it means their children would have to go to summer school, and most support it even if it means holding students back a grade.
And while the same poll shows that six out of 10 parents think schools are too focused on standardized testing, three out of four support using test scores to hold schools accountable for student learning.
The Gore and Bush campaigns - which are more similar than dissimilar on the issue of education - exploit this fact.
Because schools are funded largely with state and local tax dollars - in Miami-Dade County, about 6 percent of the school district's $4 billion comes from the federal government - the president can hope only to influence, rather than dictate, how states educate their students. In Broward County, about the same percentage of the school district's budget comes from federal funds.
"If the president wanted to talk about school reconstruction and improving facilities, the president could authorize monies that can be used for that," said Phil Clark, professor of educational leadership at the University of Florida. "Whatever happens in the state of Florida, as far as education is concerned, comes from Florida."
In Florida, statewide testing, school accountability and private-school tuition vouchers - which the candidates are discussing - are already realities.
This Miami Herald owns the copyright to this story. To read more of this story, please e-mail Analisa and she will e-mail you the clip or send you one via snail mail.
