Bush advocates using vouchers only to hold specific schools accountable, and will introduce them only in districts that fail to meet standards. The Vice President's stance on the issue is clear. A new alternative to traditional public and private schools are charter schools, independent public schools that are freed from regulations in exchange for meeting performance goals. Such schools are open to all, paid for by taxes and are required to produce results. Parents and teachers are looking to this new hybrid to provide flexibility and innovation in learning.
Charter schools receive federal money, but unlike public schools they receive no capital funds.
Vice President Gore has said he would support the charter school movement, according to the Chicago Tribune, but he has not made a charter school initiative part of his education agenda. Both candidates have padded their platforms with plans to make higher education more affordable. Vice President Gore plans to build on programs championed by the Clinton administration, including HOPE Scholarships, Pell Grants and the Direct Student Loan Program. Bush plans to increase the maximum Pell grant amount by more than 50 percent in order to fully fund the program for first-year students. He also offers additional Pell dollars to low-income students who take challenging math and science courses in high school.