Romney to Perry: 'Nice Try'

PERRY:  There are a lot of good ideas here on the side and whether it is cutting back on the Department of Education, making those types of reductions.

   I happen to believe we ought to be promoting school choice all across this country.  I think school -- the voucher system, charter schools all across this country.  But there is one person on this stage that is for Obama's Race to the Top and that is Governor Romney.  He said so just this last week.  And I think that is an important difference between the rest of the people on this stage and one person that wants to run for the presidency.

   Being in favor of the Obama Race to the Top and that is not conservative.

   BAIER:  Governor Romney?

   ROMNEY:  Nice try.

   Let me tell you what I think I would do.

   One, education has to be held at the local and state level, not at the federal level.  We need get the federal government out of education.  And secondly, all the talk about we need smaller classroom size, look that's promoted by the teachers unions to hire more teachers.  We looked at what drives good education in our state, what we found is the best thing for education is great teachers, hire the very best and brightest to be teachers, pay them properly, make sure that you have school choice, test your kids to see if they are meeting the standards that need to be met, and make sure that you put the parents in charge.

   And as president I will stand up to the National Teachers Unions.