South Dakota Senate candidates all seek education reform

Education hasn't been a big issue in a Senate race dominated by health care, energy, campaign finance and EB-5. But the four men running for U.S. Senate all would push to reshape America's education policy in major ways.

Perhaps the boldest proposal is from Republican Mike Rounds, who wants to repeal the federal Department of Education.

"If you talk to the folks in the South Dakota Department of Education, I think you would feel the frustration they feel trying to comply with federal bureaucratic demands," Rounds said. "Local school boards are very capable of making the vast majority of decisions on how we educate our kids."

Rounds says his proposal wouldn't cut the money schools and states get from the federal government. Instead, he'd convert programs into "block grants" of money states could spend on education as they wished.

None of the other candidates agree with Rounds on eliminating the Department of Education. Even independent Gordon Howie, who wants to "pull back the tentacles of federal government in education," said the Department of Education "can serve a useful purpose."

"It's like any other agency of government," Howie said. "There is always the potential for it to get too big and overreach and overregulate."

Independent Larry Pressler and Democrat Rick Weiland gave a more full-throated defense of the Department of Education.

Pressler cited his experience growing up with a stutter.

"Students such as Larry Pressler in Humboldt, South Dakota, would not have speech therapy available if not for (Department of Education) regulations," Pressler said.

He also noted that he voted for the creation of the Department of Education.

Weiland said if governors were given blocks of cash intended for education, they'd "take it and use it and direct it to something else." Specific Department of Education programs, Weiland said, ensure money gets to its intended purpose.

Rounds said education reform will best happen if states have full control over funding and policies.

"States will learn from one another which ones are doing the best," Rounds said.

The other three candidates proposed less drastic reforms, but all want to alter education policy.

Howie said he'd focus his efforts on fighting the Common Core education standards, which were devised by a group of governors and education experts, but has been championed by Secretary of Education Arne Duncan.

"It's the bureaucracy and the establishment elite who once again think they know what's best for us," Howie said.

Rounds embraced Common Core as it was being devised and initially implemented in South Dakota. But he says he has concerns about how it's being implemented in schools. Common Core in South Dakota, Rounds said, is a good idea "which has literally been taken over by the federal government."

He said he'd try to give states more flexibility to adapt their own Common Core curricula.

Pressler and Weiland both support Common Core. Weiland said he researched the issue extensively and was finally persuaded when he kept hearing from teachers who supported the standards.

If elected, Pressler said he'd push for increased spending on higher education, including more money for research and more money for Stafford loans and Pell grants to help students pay for college.

"As a nation, we are losing our research capability," Pressler said.

He also supported letting people refinance their federal student loans at lower interest rates, a reform Weiland also backs.

Weiland said he'd "like to see us expand access to preschool."

"I know that when you invest early on with our kids, you've got a better chance of having a productive member of society who's out there working hard and paying taxes," Weiland said. "Every dollar spent on preschool ... ends up paying huge dividends in the long run."

'100 EYES' INTERVIEWS

Tuesday

• 3 p.m.: Mike Rounds

Wednesday

• 11 a.m.: Kristi Noem

• 2 p.m.: Corinna Robinson

• 3 p.m.: Dennis Daugaard

Friday

• 3 p.m.: Rick Weiland