Addressing a crowd of over 200 largely undecided voters at a technical college dining room on Halloween day, Howard Dean revealed his strategy for winning the presidency. He expressed his disapproval of the federal education law, No Child Left Behind, and emphasized the differences between his campaign and those of other candidates. He pledged to dismantle the majority of the No Child Left Behind Act, which is considered one of President Bush’s most significant domestic-policy achievements.
During his speech, Dean engaged the audience by asking if anyone was from a school board, humorously referring to the law as "No School Board Left Standing" and "No Behind Left" according to school board members and teachers respectively. While the Democratic presidential candidates often criticize the funding levels for the No Child Left Behind law, most of them do not condemn the law itself. Dean highlighted this fact, pointing out that the majority of the Democratic candidates had voted in favor of it. Only the congressional delegation from Dean’s adopted state unanimously rejected the law.
Dean, a former long shot candidate who has now emerged as a top contender based on opinion polls and fundraising success, often speaks fondly of his time as the governor of Vermont for 11 years. On Halloween day, after a red-eye flight from Boise, Idaho, he campaigned across southern New Hampshire, the state hosting the first delegate-selecting presidential primary of the 2004 campaign. He consistently directed the conversation towards Vermont, where he encouraged voters to visit his website and learn about his accomplishments as governor.
At a morning forum on children’s issues at the University of New Hampshire, Dean highlighted the various ways Vermont supports children. He mentioned that almost all children in the state have health insurance, and praised the Success by Six initiative, which provides support for young children and families through hospital visits, parenting classes, job training, and programs to engage fathers. Vermont also offers subsidized child care for families with incomes up to $40,000 through a combination of state and federal aid.
Mr. Dean made a campaign visit to New Hampshire towards the end of October, just before his controversial comments were published in an Iowa newspaper. He was quoted as saying that he sought the votes of individuals who displayed Confederate flags on their pickup trucks. This comment caused controversy, and on November 5th, Mr. Dean clarified that he did not endorse the Confederate flag, but believed that there needs to be a serious discussion about race.
Mr. Dean is known for speaking his mind, and he did not hold back when it came to criticizing the No Child Left Behind Act. During a campaign event in Concord, New Hampshire, he was asked about the law. He described it as an unfunded mandate and criticized the Bush administration for trying to make New Hampshire schools more like those in Texas. The administration argued that they provided enough funding and emphasized that each state has the freedom to design their own standards and tests.
Mr. Dean expressed his desire to dismantle the No Child Left Behind Act while acknowledging that there are some positive aspects in it that should be kept. In an interview with Education Week, he expanded on his views. He praised the provision that disaggregates student scores by racial, ethnic, and other subgroups, considering it an important civil rights issue. However, he disliked the unfunded mandates and the heavy emphasis on testing from 3rd to 8th grade. He also criticized the requirement for schools to show average yearly progress, believing it to be ridiculous and unrealistic. According to Mr. Dean, if public schools do not achieve 100% compliance, they will all be considered failing by 2013, a notion that he finds absurd. The No Child Left Behind law mandates testing in reading and math for all students in grades 3-8. Schools are expected to ensure that all students reach proficiency based on their state’s definition by the 2013-14 academic year. Schools must also make progress towards this goal. If a school fails to make adequate progress for multiple years, it is subject to increasingly severe sanctions.
Critics accused Mr. Dean of wanting to destroy the public school system by challenging the adequate progress demands of the law. However, David H. Winston, a Republican political strategist, disagreed with this notion. He believed that Mr. Dean’s rhetoric was excessive and did not reflect the views of the American public, who generally support the law’s focus on testing and strong accountability. He questioned if Mr. Dean had a better alternative in mind.
Despite the criticism, Mr. Dean plans to unveil detailed education initiatives in the coming weeks. He has made it clear that he supports high standards and testing but prefers offering technical assistance instead of mandated sanctions. Furthermore, he wants to prioritize greater parental involvement in education. Larry J. Sabato, the director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia, warns that opposing the bipartisan law could be politically risky as it may reinforce the perception that Mr. Dean is difficult to work with and unwilling to compromise.
Although Mr. Dean’s stance on the No Child Left Behind Act is controversial, it is well-received among some educators.
In addition to his role as governor and his dedication to education, Mr. Dean gained a unique insight into schools when he briefly served as a student-teacher at a middle school. He recalled this experience in an interview, highlighting the fact that he is the sole presidential candidate who truly understands the challenge of standing for extended periods without a restroom break.
