Explore Candidates → Hillary Clinton on Education
Hillary Clinton on Education
"The No Child Left Behind Act, which was intended to provide more resources for schools and to create more support for the teaching and learning enterprise has not been either funded or implemented -- in my view -- effectively or appropriately."
"I will end the unfunded mandate that is No Child Left Behind."
"You have to reform No Child Left Behind. We're going to try to do that and begin to make it much more in line with the reality of teaching."
2007 Democratic primary debate on "This Week" Aug 19, 2007
"No Child Left Behind has been a terrible imposition on teachers and school districts & families & students. Part of it is because it was an unfunded mandate. And part of it is that the Dept. of Education under Pres. Bush did not absolutely enforce it and interpret it in the right way. So we need growth models for students. We need broader curriculum. We need to make sure that when we look at our children, we don't just see a little walking test. We've got to have a total change in No Child Left Behind."
2007 AFL-CIO Democratic primary forum Aug 8, 2007
Although Clinton voted for the act in 2001, she criticized the program as underfunded and overly restrictive.
"I think we've got to have affirmative action generally to try to give more opportunities to young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, whoever they are. That's why I'm a strong supporter of early childhood education and universal pre-kindergarten."
The affirmation of the importance of diversity by our nation's highest court is a victory today not only for the University of Michigan and affirmative action, but for all Americans and our democracy. .
I am pleased that the Supreme Court today upheld the principles behind affirmative action, holding in both Grutter v. Bollinger and Gratz v. Bollinger that diversity in higher education is a compelling state interest that can justify the use of race in university admissions
I have fought to make sure that schools were fair to all children. That's the work I did in Arkansas, to try to raise the standards particularly for the poorest of our children, and most especially for minority children. And certainly in the White House years, and now in the Senate, I've continued that effort because I don't think there is a more important issue. But I also believe we cannot separate the education part from the economic part. There is still discrimination in the workplace. There are still people who are turned down and turned away who have qualifications and skills that should make them employable. So this is a broader issue that we have to address.
2007 Democratic Primary Debate at Howard University Jun 28, 2007
You cannot raise standards without increasing the resources needed to meet those standards.
New York Times Mar 12, 2000, By Adam Nagourney
The majority of children are educated in the public education system. So we have to support the public education system whether or not our children are in it or whether or not we have children. The public education system is a critical investment for the well-being of all of us.
Unique Voice, p.173 Feb 3, 1997
Voted YES on $52M for "21st century community learning centers" bill to increase appropriations for after-school programs through 21st century community learning centers. Voting YES would increase funding by $51.9 million for after school programs run by the 21st century community learning centers and would decrease funding by $51.9 million for salaries and expenses in the Department of Labor
Amendment to Agencies Appropriations Act; Bill S Amdt 2287 to HR 3010 ; vote number 2005-279 on Oct 27, 2005
Voted YES to provide an additional $5 billion for title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. Voting YES would provide 1.$2.5 billion for targeting grants to local educational agencies. 2.$2.5 billion for education finance incentive grants
Elementary and Secondary Education Amendment; Bill S Amdt 2275 to HR 3010 ; vote number 2005-269 on Oct 26, 2005
I stand behind the charter school/public school movement, because parents do deserve greater choice within the public school system to meet the unique needs of their children. Slowly but surely, we're beginning to create schooling opportunities through the public school charter system-raising academic standards, empowering educators. When we look back on the 1990s, we will see that the charter school movement will be one of the ways we will have turned around the entire public school system.
Remarks to NEA in Orlando, Florida Jul 5, 1999
Charter schools can play a significant part in revitalizing and strengthening schools by offering greater flexibility from bureaucratic rules, so that parents, teachers, and the community can design and run their own schools, and focus on setting goals and getting results. Many of these schools are meeting the needs of students who had trouble succeeding in more traditional public schools. Every child deserves a quality public education as part of their American birthright.
Remarks at Charter School Meeting, Washington DC Aug 4, 1998
I believe strongly in a parent's right to choose the best education for his/her child.
Unique Voice, p.173 Feb 3, 1997
I've been involved with schools now for 17 years, working on behalf of education reform. And I think we know what works. We know that getting classroom size down works. That's why I’m for adding 100,000 teachers to the classroom. We know that modernizing and better equipping our schools works. And we know that high standards works. But what's important is to stay committed to the public school system, not siphon off money, as my opponent would, with vouchers.
NY Senate debate on NBC Oct 28, 2000
I could not support vouchers that would take money away from schools where teachers are in partitioned hallways, where the teacher has the only textbook in the classroom. If we can get class size down, if we can provide qualified teachers, we can make a difference. I support adding 100,000 teachers to lower class size. I support the bipartisan school construction funding authority that would permit New York to have school construction without raising taxes.
Senate debate in Manhattan Oct 8, 2000
I do not support vouchers. And the reason I don’t is because I don't think we can afford to siphon dollars away from our underfunded public schools.
Clinton-Lazio debate, Buffalo NY Sep 13, 2000
Test is becoming the curriculum when it should be the other way around…How much learning is actually going on? Our children are getting good at filling in those little bubbles. How much creativity is being left behind? How much passion for learning is being left behind?
We need a new approach. One that is balanced. That puts learning, not memorizing and testing, front and center in American education again.
I have long supported incentive pay for school wide performance. You know, what we're trying to do is to change the culture within schools and to provide the resources, the training and the support that teachers need to do the job.
2007 Democratic primary debate on "This Week" Aug 19, 2007
I agree that we should be testing new teachers. I believe that we ought to have pay for performance where we evaluate teachers. I think we ought to streamline the due process standards so that teachers that don’t measure up would no longer be in the classroom.
NY Senate debate on NBC Oct 28, 2000
Wants school-based incentive pay, not necessarily incentive pay for individual teachers.
I have put forth an education plan that is based on my years of working to reform and improve education. I have very specific proposals about lowering classroom size, getting more qualified teachers into the classroom, starting a national teacher corps to recruit young people. If they’re willing to teach, they would get a scholarship. As well as some mid-career people that I would like to see, perhaps, go into teaching with some incentives
Clinton-Lazio debate, Buffalo NY Sep 13, 2000
Q: What about performance-based pay? A: Well, I have long supported incentive pay for school wide performance. You know, what we're trying to do is to change the culture within schools and to provide the resources, the training and the support that teachers need to do the job they do want to do. You have to reform No Child Left Behind. We're going to try to do that and begin to make it much more in line with the reality of teaching. [Clinton would support paying teachers more in schools which had high performances but not paying teachers more for their individual performances as merit pay would do.]
2007 Democratic primary debate on "This Week" Aug 19, 2007
While First Lady Hillary Clinton called for higher salaries for teachers. She restated her support for providing four-year scholarships to teachers who promise to work in inner-city schools. She called for more federal spending to hire teachers and to repair run-down schools.
New York Times Mar 12, 2000, by Adam Nagourney
I agree with the NEA president that there's not only a teacher shortage, there's a respect shortage and a salary shortage as well. There is no way in today's complicated, information-overdrive world that we're going to get and keep those in the teaching profession to carry on the tradition of public education, unless [they] receive the salaries that [their] important work deserves.
Remarks to NEA in Orlando, Florida Jul 5, 1999
Not only don't we pay teachers what they deserve to be paid, in other countries that have better test scores the ours, teachers get paid much more on an even standard with professionals.
Schools may not provide religious instruction, but they may teach about the Bible or other scripture in the teaching of history or literature, for example
"After Republican debate Anderson Cooper, James Carville (CNN political analyst), and Ralph Reed (Republican strategist) discuss the debate and the Democratic candidate's position on evolution: Carville: Every Democratic candidate believes in evolution…obviously, every Democratic candidate believes in evolution. Every Democratic candidate think's it ought to be taught in schools"
Students may participate in individual or group prayer during the school day, as long as they do so in a non-disruptive manner and when they are not engaged in school activities or instruction
Students should be free to express their beliefs about religion in school assignments
Reintroducing legislation for a US Public Service Academy. "We need this academy to give young people a chance to learn the skills and to be prepared to assume leadership positions in the public arena."
US Public Service Academy, modeled on Military Service Schools, will provide a 4 year federally subsidized college graduation to more then 5,000 students a year in exchange for a 5 year commitment to public service.