Education Week - October 31, 2012 - 13

EDUCATION WEEK

OCTOBER 31, 2012

www.edweek.org

GUBERNATORIAL CONTESTS
DELAWARE
Jeff Cragg (R) Gov. Jack Markell (D) Incumbent

MONTANA

Steve Bullock (D) Rick Hill (R)

WEST VIRGINIA

SCHOOLS CHIEFS
Voters in four states will elect new state schools chiefs on Nov. 6. Three of the four races are partisan elections; all but one race features an incumbent running for re-election. Key issues include the role of standardized tests, the power of local districts versus that of state education departments, and funding.

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Bill Maloney (R) Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin (D) Incumbent

Maggie Hassan (D) Ovide Lamontagne (R)

UTAH

INDIANA

NORTH DAKOTA

Peter Cooke (D) Gov. Gary Herbert (R) Incumbent

Walter Dalton (D)

Pat McCrory (R)

John Gregg (D) Mike Pence (R)

Gov. Jack Dalrymple (R) Incumbent Ryan Taylor (D)

NORTH CAROLINA
Democratic candidate Walter Dalton and GOP nominee Pat McCrory differ sharply on K-12 issues. Mr. Dalton stresses state education funding and has attacked Republicans for cutting it, and has also encouraged businesses to “adopt a school.” Mr. McCrory wants “two paths” in the educational system, with one high school diploma for “college ready” students and another for “career ready” students. He also wants charter school expansion, and to not promote 3rd graders who can’t demonstrate literacy.

MISSOURI

VERMONT

I N DIANA
Tony Bennett (R) Incumbent

Gov. Jay Nixon (D) Incumbent Dave Spence (R)

Randy Brock (R) Gov. Peter Shumlin (D) Incumbent

SOURCE: Education Week

RACES TO WATCH
WASHINGTON STATE
Education has been a big campaign issue for state Attorney General Rob McKenna, the Republican candidate, and his opponent, Democrat Jay Inslee, a former congressman. Mr. McKenna backs a ballot initiative to permit charter schools. Mr. Inslee opposes it and says enough innovation is already under way in schools. The two differ on a new school funding system, which the state supreme court has mandated state lawmakers to create. Mr. McKenna supports exploring a tax swap that would increase revenues for poor districts at the expense of rich ones, an idea Mr. Inslee dislikes.

Mr. Bennett was elected superintendent of public instruction in 2008 and has touted the state’s work in Advanced Placement course participation and an increasing graduation rate. He has implemented major changes to teacher evaluations and school accountability. He has clashed with teachers’ unions.
Glenda Ritz (D)

Rob McKenna (R)

Jay Inslee (D)

CONGRESSIONAL SEATS
Party control of the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives will have implications for education in a number of areas.
SEQUESTRATION: A series of across-the-board
“trigger cuts” is set to hit every federal program in the new year, unless Congress acts on a long-term deficitreduction plan that would avoid them. The U.S. Department of Education would see a cut of 8.2 percent across the board, the White House projects, including cuts to Title I and special education. Most of the cuts would not hit schools until the start of the 2013-14 academic year.

U.S. SENATE
(Current)

U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
(Current)

Ms. Ritz has won “teacher of the year” awards at two schools and has the backing of the Indiana State Teachers Association. A teacher in the Indianapolis area, she has criticized Mr. Bennett’s teacher policies for being too focused on standardized testing. She also opposes recent state takeovers of individual schools.

51 Democrats 47 Republicans 2 Independents

190 Democrats 240 Republicans 5 Vacancies

MONTANA
Denise Juneau (D) Incumbent

(caucus with Democrats)

seats up for election

ALL seats up for election
U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES: ILLINOIS, DISTRICT 13
Republican Incumbent: U.S. Rep. Judy Biggert, a longtime member of the House education committee, has bucked her party on a number of issues, including vouchers. She has gotten support—and campaign cash—from the National Education Association, which is typically associated with the Democratic Party and has also endorsed President Obama. Democratic Challenger: Former U.S. Rep. Bill Foster, who served in the House from March 2008 to January 2011, is highlighting his support for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which he said helped save thousands of teachers’ jobs. Ms. Biggert voted against the economic-stimulus law.

RACES TO WATCH
U.S. SENATE: MONTANA
Democratic Incumbent: U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, a former elementary teacher, has highlighted his efforts to establish an office of rural education at the U.S. Department of Education. He touts his support for bolstering Pell Grants to help disadvantaged college students and for the Obama adminstration’s move to get subsidized lenders out of the studentlending program. Republican Challenger: U.S. Rep. Denny Rehberg currently serves as the chairman of the House panel that oversees K-12 spending. He has crafted bills that would eliminate competitive-grant programs at the heart of President Barack Obama’s education redesign agenda, including Race to the Top, the Investing in Innovation grant program, and the School Improvement Grant program. He’s also supported increased funding for Head Start, which helps lowincome children attend early-childhood programs.

Ms. Juneau was elected superintendent of public instruction in 2008 and was a speaker at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, N.C., in September. During her term, she has launched a statewide Graduation Matters initiative designed to improve high school completion and postsecondary readiness.
Sandy Welch (R)

RENEWAL OF THE ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION ACT: Reauthorization
of the main K-12 law—currently called the No Child Left Behind Act—has been pending since 2007. The Obama administration recently issued waivers giving states wiggle room on some key mandates, but many lawmakers felt the waivers had stepped on congressional authority.

COMPETITIVE GRANTS: The Obama administration has used competitive grants, such as Race to the Top and Investing in Innovation, to prod states and districts to adopt key administration priorities, including common standards and teacher-evaluation policies. House Republicans, in particular, have pushed back against the approach. OTHER MAJOR EDUCATION BILLS: Congress
must also consider legislation involving special education, higher education, career and technical education, and other key areas. SOURCE: Education Week

Ms. Welch has worked as a teacher and principal and now runs a consulting business. She believes districts should have more control and has pledged to reduce state-level regulations. She also wants to open state trust lands to more resource development to generate more revenue for public schools.

NORTH CAROLI NA
June Atkinson (D) Incumbent Ms. Atkinson was first elected superintendent of public instruction in 2004 and has worked at the state education department in various capacities since 1976. She has overseen a 12-point increase in the graduation rate over the past six years. She wants to expand online learning opportunities to high-demand courses. John Tedesco (R) Mr. Tedesco is a member of the Wake County board of education, which oversees a public school system with roughly 147,000 students; he also serves as president of the North Carolina Center for Education Reform. He says he would work better with the Republican-dominated legislature than Ms. Atkinson has.

STATE SCHOOL BOARDS
2012 PARTISAN RACES
Alabama, Colorado, Kansas, Michigan, Texas

OTHER ELECTIONS AND APPOINTMENTS
n

2012 NONPARTISAN RACES District of Columbia, Ohio, Nebraska, Nevada, Utah 2012 ALL MEMBERS ELECTED Alabama, Colorado, Kansas, Michigan, Nebraska, Utah, Texas 2012 MIX OF APPOINTED AND ELECTED MEMBERS Ohio (11 members are elected, eight are appointed)

Beginning in 2013, Nevada’s state board will consist of four elected members and three members appointed by the governor. Of the latter group, one will be nominated by the Senate majority leader, and one will be nominated by the House speaker.

CAMPAIGN FILE:: Education Week has tracked the debate over state and federal education policies throughout this tumultuous election year. Among the highlights:
“K-12 Issue Simmers in Gubernatorial Races,” April 18, 2012. “Romney Hones Pitch on Education Policy,” June 6, 2012. “Obama Uses Funding, Executive Muscle to Make Often-Divisive Agenda a Reality,” June 13, 2012. “K-12 Policy in Play, Along with Legislatures,” Aug. 8, 2012. “Nominees Serve Up Stark Differences on Education,” Sept. 12, 2012. “Charters, K-12 Aid Roiling Wash. State,” Oct. 17, 2012. “Obama Finding Teacher Support Secure, If Tepid,” Oct. 24, 2012.

NORTH DAKOTA
(NON PARTI SAN)
Kirsten Baesler Ms. Baesler has been the president of the Mandan school board since 2006 and a member since 2004; she has also worked as an assistant principal and media specialist. She supports policies that stress early literacy and also wants to explore allowing charter schools. She supports the Common Core State Standards. Tracy Potter Mr. Potter, a former state senator and former Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate, says teaching is an art form that should not be measured by standardized testing. He also wants to increase state funding for public schools to hire more teachers.
SOURCE: Education Week

New Mexico has an elected Public Education Commission, but in 2003, the state changed the commission’s role to an advisory position. The board reports to the state superintendent of public instruction. Washington state has five state
school board members elected by school district directors.
SOURCE: National Association of State Boards of Education

View these stories online at www.edweek.org/links. For complete Campaign 2012 coverage, visit www.edweek.org/go/election2012.

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Education Week - October 31, 2012

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