The Green Party's Jill Stein, the Libertarian Party's Gary Johnson, Republican candidate Mitt Romney and incumbent Democratic President Barack Obama addressed education during campaign stops across the nation.
Johnson: Pro Vouchers
At the beginning of the month, the Libertarian candidate received a favorable welcome in Alaska, the Alaska Dispatch reports. The party's pro-school-voucher message resonates with voters who do not believe that a home address should determine school choice. As noted by the publication just a month earlier, vice presidential nominee Jim Gray visited the state and commented on the voters' "rugged independent streak," of which school choice is just one example.
Stein: Get rid of Tuition and Student Debt
In March, the Green Party's candidate called for "generational justice." Posting to her campaign website, she outlined the party's plan for "forgiving student debt and ending tuition at public colleges and universities." Part of the Green Party's New Deal for America is free public education that begins in preschool and continues all the way through college. The party intends to model student loan forgiveness and free college education after the GI Bill.
Romney: Improve K to 12 Education
On the defensive against President Obama's attacks on the campaign trail, the Associated Press reports on Romney's comeback delivered during a campaign stop today. Quoting the president's intent to invest in young people, Romney challenged the administration that this type of investment begins with an improvement of the public school system. In addition, the Republican candidate faults the administration for not setting economic policies that make it easier for recent college graduates to find work.
Obama: Higher Education is important for America's Future
The Obama campaign characterizes Romney as the candidate who cannot relate to the education worries of John Q. Public. Among these concerns are class size, tuition costs and funding options, Politico explains. "He didn't say a word about community colleges or how important higher education is to America's future, he said the best thing you can do is shop around. … That's it, that's his plan. That's his answer to young people who are trying to figure out how to go to college and make sure they don't have a mountain of debt," the president charged.
