2007 Democratic primary debate at Drexel: on Education


Bill Richardson: Commit to extending school day and/or the school year

I’d commit to extending the school day and/or the school year, and have 100,000 new science and math teachers. We have to pay our teachers what they deserve, a minimum wage of what I believe is $40,000 per year. I’d get rid of No Child Left Behind. I would have science & math academies, but in the high school curriculum it is critically important that we have more civics, more language, and art in the schools to provoke creativity in science and math proficiency
Source: 2007 Democratic debate at Drexel University Oct 30, 2007

Chris Dodd: Named “Senator of the Decade” by the Head Start Association

I’m proud to have been named “Senator of the Decade” by the Head Start Association. All the ideas being advocating in early childhood education are critical. The federal government needs to be a better partner in all this, not take away control locally. A child’s quality of education shouldn’t depend on the accident of birth, and that’s what happens too often. We need to make the kind of investments jointly with our local communities. Higher education community colleges need to be more tuition-free.
Source: 2007 Democratic debate at Drexel University Oct 30, 2007

Dennis Kucinich: Cut the Pentagon budget 15% for tuition-free college

If we cut the Pentagon budget 15%, $75 billion will go into a universal pre-kindergarten program so our children ages 3, 4 and 5 will have access to full-time day care and more money would go into elementary and secondary education. Our college-age students need to know that with a Kucinich administration they’re guaranteed a two- or four-year college, tuition free, and it’ll be paid for by the government investing in our young people. That’s the kind of approach I’ll take to education.
Source: 2007 Democratic debate at Drexel University Oct 30, 2007

Joe Biden: For longer school day & school year, & 16-year minimum

I proposed it in 1987. We should go to school longer. We should have a minimum 16 years of education. We should be focusing on the socioeconomic disadvantaged, mostly minorities in inner cities. That’s something we’ve ignored. We pay no attention to it. We pretend they’re the same circumstances as every other kid in America. They start off with half. Half of the education gap exists before they set foot in the first classroom. That should be the focus.
Source: 2007 Democratic debate at Drexel University Oct 30, 2007

John Edwards: Should have universal pre-Kindergarten for all 4-year-olds

We still have two public school systems in many ways in America. We have one for affluent communities, and one for everyone else. We should have universal pre-K for all 4-year-olds, and deal with nutritional and health care needs of younger children, starting at about age 2. We should have a national teaching university to attract our most talented young people, send them out across America in the toughest places to teach, & give incentive pay to teachers willing to teach in the most difficult places
Source: 2007 Democratic debate at Drexel University Oct 30, 2007

  • The above quotations are from 2007 Democratic primary debate at Drexel University in Philadelphia, sponsored by MSNBC, moderated by Tim Russert.
  • Click here for definitions & background information on Education.
  • Click here for other issues (main summary page).
  • Click here for more quotes by Dennis Kucinich on Education.
  • Click here for more quotes by Hillary Clinton on Education.
2016 Presidential contenders on Education:
  Republicans:
Gov.Jeb Bush(FL)
Dr.Ben Carson(MD)
Gov.Chris Christie(NJ)
Sen.Ted Cruz(TX)
Carly Fiorina(CA)
Gov.Jim Gilmore(VA)
Sen.Lindsey Graham(SC)
Gov.Mike Huckabee(AR)
Gov.Bobby Jindal(LA)
Gov.John Kasich(OH)
Gov.Sarah Palin(AK)
Gov.George Pataki(NY)
Sen.Rand Paul(KY)
Gov.Rick Perry(TX)
Sen.Rob Portman(OH)
Sen.Marco Rubio(FL)
Sen.Rick Santorum(PA)
Donald Trump(NY)
Gov.Scott Walker(WI) 		Democrats:
Gov.Lincoln Chafee(RI)
Secy.Hillary Clinton(NY)
V.P.Joe Biden(DE)
Gov.Martin O`Malley(MD)
Sen.Bernie Sanders(VT)
Sen.Elizabeth Warren(MA)
Sen.Jim Webb(VA)

2016 Third Party Candidates:
Gov.Gary Johnson(L-NM)
Roseanne Barr(PF-HI)
Robert Steele(L-NY)
Dr.Jill Stein(G,MA)
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Page last updated: Nov 30, 2018