Des Moines Register picks Culver on Education

The Register compared Chet Culver and Jim Nussle's stance on education and highlighted strengths and weaknesses of each candidate's plan. The Register concluded that Culver came out on top with his education plan (the other day they favored Culver's Economic stance as well). This goes along with the ISEA endorsing Culver over the summer.

Here is what the Register said...
Culver offers thoughtful approach
Strength:

Chet Culver sees the big picture when it comes to improving education.

Getting universal high-quality preschool in place quickly is a starting point. The Democratic candidate from West Des Moines would expand the existing program with a public-private partnership. He'd push for higher-quality child care, too.

At the other end of the spectrum, he'd work to make college more affordable. Culver would invest an additional $25 million in the state universities to lower tuition, retain faculty and broaden course offerings. That would be a step toward restoring state support, which has diminished as a percentage of the universities' total budgets. More scholarship assistance is part of his plan, too.

Weakness:

the biggest weakness in his education plan, as outlined on his Web site, becomes apparent: his failure to address the need for a stronger curriculum in elementary and middle schools. Better teachers alone aren't enough.

Nussle puts forth many good ideas
Strength:

Another strength of his plan: It focuses on improving high schools, where many students haven't been challenged enough. He wants all youngsters to have access to Advanced Placement college-level courses and the opportunity to earn dual high school/college credit. That will increase rigor and offset college costs.

Weakness:

Nussle's plan falls short on details. That makes it questionable how well he would execute reforms. An example: Look at his call to "accelerate statewide education standards to 2008-09 school year."

It's not clear what he means on his Web site - but a staffer said he wants to move up the deadline for tougher high school graduation requirements. Below that bold-faced recommendation, Nussle's Web site lists three goals: "Focus more on core subjects, like reading, writing, mathematics and science" (And teach less of what?), "Ensure assessments conducted on Iowa's fourth- and eighth-graders" (This already takes place) and end social promotion (How would a governor influence that?).

And then there is this from Vander Plaats...

His running mate, Bob Vander Plaats, also raised a red flag for us when he said recently, according to an Ames Tribune report, that intelligent design should be taught alongside evolution in schools.

And from the print edition of the Register...

The Bottom Line: Culver stands out for having a more complete plan that does not undermine public eduction.