Tom Tancredo (R) on Education
Ledyard King / USA Today
On No Child Left Behind law
Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo., is a former civics teacher who was a regional representative for the Department of Education from 1981 to 1992, yet he believes federal intervention in schools should be limited. He voted in 2001 against the No Child Left Behind education bill, which requires states to test students annually. President Bush signed it into law in January 2002. Schools failing to make academic progress over several years could be closed or have their faculty replaced. “Educational control is best left in the hands of parents,” he said on his campaign website.
On making college affordable
Tancredo voted against a bill Bush signed in September 2007 that cut interest rates on federal student loans by half, to 3.4%, and increased Pell grants from $4,310 in 2007 to $5,400 by 2012. He has not articulated how he would make college affordable.
Other education priorities
Tancredo advocates on his campaign website a “no-strings-attached” voucher system to promote school choice. He also supports tax credits for families who choose to attend private school or educate their children at home.
