Jill Stein: Green Party
On Common Core:
Stein said she would “end high stakes testing,” a position which suggests she would pursue a thorough overhaul of today’s test-dependent system of accountability. (TBS)
On School Choice:
Stein also said she would end “public school privatization,” a position which differentiates her from all three of her opponents, who have voiced varying degrees of support for charter and private schooling. (TBS)
On Higher Education:
As president, Stein would “abolish student debt to free a generation of Americans from debt servitude.” She would also “guarantee tuition-free, world-class public education from preschool through university.” (TBS)
Gary Johnson: Libertarian Party
On Common Core:
According to his website, “Gov. Johnson believes there is no role for the Federal Government in education. He would eliminate the federal Department of Education and return control to the state and local levels. He opposes Common Core and any other attempts to impose national standards and requirements on local schools, believing the key to restoring education excellence in the U.S. lies in the innovation, freedom and flexibility that federal interference inherently discourages. (TBS)
On School Choice:
Johnson is also a vocal advocate of “school choice,” a policy which he attempted in vain to implement as governor of New Mexico. According to his website, Johnson recognized that his policy would face overwhelming resistance from a powerful teachers’ union and a Democratic legislature, but he considered it important to challenge the status quo. (TBS)
On Higher Education:
“I do think ultimately it would be the end of traditional public schools and that would be for the better. Public schools are not going to go away, but they are going to embrace the innovation that would occur if students had a choice.” On the student debt crisis, Johnson backs a federal investment to refinance existing debt at lower interest rates to relieve students hurt by a crisis “caused” by the federal government: “If there were no guaranteed government student loans, higher education would be much more affordable.” (Politico)