Historically, K-12 education has been a local affair, with the federal government playing a supporting role.  That role grew substantially with No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) under former president George W. Bush, and subsequently with the Race to the Top grants and NCLB waivers under President Obama. Thus, the executive branch has shaped today’s most controversial education policies. Pressure to improve the nation’s schools is high; recent international comparisons of student achievement indicate US students had average or below average scores.

With the nation’s future economic competitiveness at stake, here are five questions for presidential candidates on their approaches to national education policy:

1. The Common Core State Standards for reading and mathematics have become increasingly controversial since 46 states adopted them in 2010. Have your views on the Common Core changed since it was introduced? Why or why not?

The Obama administration pressured states to adopt Common Core State Standards, though not originally a federal initiative. By 2010, 46 states had adopted Common Core. Of these states, more than 20 have altered, reviewed, or re-branded the standards. These new college- and career-ready standards are generally more demanding than those they replaced, and the new tests aligned to the standards have amplified the controversy over Common Core in many states.

Read the full article at the American Enterprise Institute: 5 questions every presidential candidate should answer on K–12 education edition