The ABC's Of Al & Dubya
Education is the issue that voters nationwide say they care about most - and voters in the battleground state of Michigan are no different, reports CBS News Correspondent Jane Clayson.
From its commercial heart in downtown Detroit to its bountiful farms and friendly small towns, Michigan is a diverse state - and the opinions on how to improve education are even more diverse.
Art Luna, who has three children in public schools, opposes a controversial proposal on the ballot to offer vouchers to pay for private schools.
"Public schools are the foundation of all our small communities. And it is important that we don't tear them down, (but that) we build them up," he said.
Luna serves on his neighboring school board and he thinks vouchers rob public schools of needed money. His big concern is paying for college for his kids.
"I'm a middle-class person." said Luna. "Can my wife and I afford it if we took out a loan and we had to remortgage our home? Should we have to do that?"
Darnell Fuqua and his wife Sherry run their own successful consulting business. Fuqua's nine-year-old son Jairus attends one of the best public schools in Detroit. Still, Fuqua will send Jairus to a private school next year. He can afford to do that, but he's concerned about those whose kids are trapped in failing public schools.
"I am for vouchers." said Fuqua. "Those that say 'no' are saying that if a child is in a failing school district give us time, give us the money, and we will fix the problem."
But Fuqua is not optimistic that Detroit can fix its problems. Nearly 50 percent of its students never graduate from the district schools. Fuqua blames educators - and says it's time to hold them accountable.
"If that school is failing the students, then it is failing it's purpose, it has no reason to be there," he said. "The only purpose that a school has is to serve, is to educate."
Texas Governor George W. Bush has held up his state as a model of education reform, despite last week's Rand Corporation report questioning whether any real progress had been made in the Lone Star State.
"Education is my first priority as the president," Bush, the GOP nominee for the White House, has said.
The governor has proposed spending $47 billion to allow states to toughen teacher testing, cutting federal aid to public schools that don't meet high standards, and giving families $1,500 per child for vouchers - for private or religious schools.
Vice President Al Gore opposes school vouchers, saying they would drain money from public schools - and he challenges Bush's claims about Texas.
"The achievement gap for Texas students has not narrowed. It has widened," said the Democratic presidential nominee.
Gore promises to spend $170 billion to build new schools, hire 100,000 new teachers, and provide a $10,000 tax break for families for college tuition.
Luna sai for him, the difference between the candidates is crystal clear - so he's voting for Al Gore.
"The differences in my opinion between George Bush's plan and Al Gore's plan, he (Bush) says kids first, kids first for this, kids first for that. Al Gore says all kids first and there's a difference," said Luna.
Fuqua said that Governor Bush has done great things for Texas - and he will do great things for the nation and it's children.
"What Governor Bush proposes is that the accountability will be raised and if you fail to meet it you will be out and that's the way it should be," he said.
Nationwide, a CBS News / New York Times poll shows among likely voters whose number one issue is education. Forty-eight percent say they will vote for Gore, while 38 percent will vote for Bush.
But Americans are split over the issue of using public money to pay for private or religious schools. Fifty-five percent of African American voters and 58 percent of Hispanic voters like vouchers. Only 45 percent of white voters think they're a good idea.
Even though voters seem to think Gore would do a better job on education, recent polls have shown Bush with a narrow edge in Michigan.