Mike Huckabee on Education

The presidential candidate's viewpoints on many of the issues in education today really depend on which side of the party line they stand. But one candidate in particular breaks the rank and file of partisan politics. Mike Huckabee's ideas about education reform include a focus on the value of arts education, as well as creating a personalized learning path for every student to focus on their interests –ideas that neither Democrats nor Republicans are broaching. For more on Huckabee's education policies, we asked his campaign press secretary Alice Stewart for the low-down on this presidential hopeful's plans. Here's our cheat sheet on education according to Huckabee:

Standardized Testing

One of the hot-button issues of today's education debate is that of standardized testing, which aims to assess the overall performance of schools as well as that of individual students. While Huckabee supports testing, he says that it should be used in conjunction with a variety of other approaches to assessment. “Governor Huckabee believes that testing should be an important component, but not the only way we assess a student's progress,” says Stewart. “We know that students learn in a variety of ways, and No Child Left Behind must recognize multiple measures, including portfolios, oral presentations, experiential demonstrations, and other methods of demonstrating competence.”

School Choice

Where does Huckabee stand in the ongoing debate about charter schools, homeschooling, and school vouchers? This candidate gives the green light for all three, but believes that “Vouchers should be decided by the states, not the federal government,” says Stewart. She adds that Huckabee thinks vouchers are good for failing urban schools, but may be more problematic in rural areas where alternative school choices are not within easy commuting range.

No Child Left Behind

Although Huckabee supports the accountability measures that NCLB represents, which prevent students from “falling through the cracks,” he thinks that the program needs some adjustment. Specifically, he says that NCLB does not take into account schools with high percentages of ESL and special needs students, and he stresses his commitment to staying true to art and music requirements in schools. “I believe passionately that music and the arts play a critical role in our school curriculum,” Huckabee says. Stewart underscores his point, saying that “Raising reading and math scores must not come at the expense of other elements of a well-rounded education, and NCLB must insist that schools not get away with teaching to the test.”

College Funding and Affordability

For the next generation of voters, college costs are a major concern. So what's Huckabee's plan? According to Stewart, “Governer Huckabee believes we should encourage scholarships and offer low-interest-rate or interest-free loans to students majoring in a variety of vital fields. We should recruit for science, math, and engineering, as we do for sports.” In other words, students focusing on important areas such as math, science, and engineering should get a leg up. “We should also offer forgiveness of student loans or tuition for post-graduate study to those who will teach in under-performing schools or do other national service,” adds Stewart.