Reply #34: Yup

[Pavlovs DiOgie]

He likes his states' testing program. I bet he likes that his state got to chose their program (did so before NCLB was enacted, I believe), which is a right of the state. Here's where he touts his unhappiness of this stupid law:

"He said many NCLB provisions, such as school prayer and providing high school students' names for military recruiting, deal with policies that should be decided at the local level. He said if he were still Vermont governor, his state would refuse the NCLB money to remain autonomous."

http://www.nysut.org/newyorkteacher/2002-2003/030423dean.html

Since he would, if still governor, refuse to follow NCLB at the risk of losing federal funding, that tells me he 1)believes in states' rights when it comes to education (read: federal gov't should keep their hands out of state decisions in education) and 2)he doesn't see any value of this law, since he wouldn't use it. While not clearly saying he would repeal NCLB, there is an indicator that he might.

Just so you know, I like what Edwards has said on education best of all the candidates. I like what Kerry and Lieberman have said least. I'd like to see Dean give a straightforward answer to the question of if he'd repeal NCLB, but I haven't seen anyone ask him. If I ever get to meet him, you bet I will ask!