Election 2004
Read Education Week’s comprehensive and continuing coverage of the 2004 election. View an interactive comparison of President Bush’s and Sen. Kerry’s education proposals.
School Climate & Safety
Election Day Security Runs Smoothly Overall in Schools
School administrators across the country expressed relief last week after Election Day voting at school polling sites went relatively smoothly despite record-high turnouts.
School & District Management
Local Voters Decide Tax, Governance Questions
Voters in two Ohio cities sent very different messages to their school districts on Election Day.
School & District Management
Congress’ Shift to Right May Be Felt in Schools
Republicans expanded their margin in Congress from a sliver to a slice in last week’s elections, and significantly bolstered the conservative profile on Capitol Hill.
Law & Courts
Voters Largely Reject Funding, Policy Shifts
Voters showed caution about sending more money to public schools or dramatically changing course on education policy, as they decided school-related questions on state ballots last week.
Student Well-Being
Federal File
Decision 2004
The results are in, and now it’s time to see who won—the mock elections, that is.
Federal
Bush’s School Agenda Will Get a 2nd Term
President Bush will enter his second term with a range of campaign plans on education. But one thing is clear: The controversial No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, his signature initiative for schools, is here to stay.
School & District Management
Legislative Shifts Alter Prospects for Funding and School Vouchers
Democrats fared better in state legislative races Nov. 2 than they did in the federal elections, lending momentum to efforts in some states to increase school funding and slam the brakes on vouchers.
School & District Management
Four Incumbent State Chiefs Stave Off Challengers
While the Washington state superintendent’s race was the most closely watched nationally, incumbents swept races in three more of the five states electing schools chiefs this year. Includes table of results of five races.
States
Turnover in Governors to Influence Schools
Governors’ races in 11 states ended last week with two ousted incumbents and at least four turnovers in party control—changes that will likely leave an imprint on K-12 budgets and policies. Includes table of results.
Education
Cincinnati Levy Passes; Detroiters Back Elected Board
Cincinnati voters gave the city’s public schools a decisive victory Tuesday, approving a tax-levy renewal despite opposition from influential business and religious leaders.
School Choice & Charters
Wash. State Rejects Charter Law; Several States Defeat Aid Plans
Voters in Washington state decisively rejected in the Nov. 2 elections a recently passed law that would have opened the door to the state’s first charter schools. Voters there also defeated a tax measure aimed at hiking education spending by some $1 billion a year.
Federal
Bush Education Agenda Headed for Renewal
President Bush, who touted campaign plans to build on his bipartisan No Child Left Behind Act with new measures aimed at the secondary school level, has won a second term in the White House in a hard-fought race with Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts. The Democratic challenger called Mr. Bush to concede late on the morning of Nov. 3.
Federal
New Governors Elected in 7 of 11 States
Seven of the 11 states with governor's races this year have elected newcomers, bringing in fresh faces to offices that are pivotal in shaping education budgets and policies across the nation and to carrying out the federal No Child Left Behind Act.
Education
Incumbents Fare Well in State Chiefs’ Races
Incumbents swept races for state schools chief in four states—Indiana, Montana, North Dakota, and Washington state—while an open seat in North Carolina remained too close to call the morning after the Nov. 2 elections. In state school board elections, incumbents also fared well in most of the 12 states where they were held.