CEDAR FALLS - A Republican presidential candidate took the stage to speak on education and - before all else - preached the importance of music and the arts.

He even sang the praises of dancer Gillian Lynne, who struggled in school before going on to choreograph many of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Broadway musicals, including "Cats."

Yes, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee is not your typical Republican presidential candidate. For starters, he said, he actually wants to talk about education.

"In the first six debates that the Republican presidential candidates have had, not one question - not one question - was raised on education," he said.

At an education forum Wednesday at the University of Northern Iowa, Huckabee displayed a depth of knowledge on the issue, advocating for several specific reforms to No Child Left Behind.

"His ideas are very different," said Kimery Lorenz of Waterloo, who homeschools her teenage daughter.

Huckabee is the third candidate - and second Republican - to take part in the education series, sponsored in part by Lee Enterprises. Sen. Sam Brownback of Kansas, who has since dropped out of the race, is the other Republican.

On No Child Left Behind, the much-maligned federal education law, Huckabee said he would make arts and music education tested curriculum and provide federal funds to do so. Another reform would lower test standards at schools that teach a disproportionate number of non-native English speakers or disabled students to better reflect progress the schools make.

Unlike John Edwards - who said on Sunday at the forum that he'd dismantle No Child Left Behind - Huckabee said the legislation took an important step by expecting every student to achieve in school.

"Throwing the whole thing out would be a tragic mistake," Huckabee said.

In justifying the need for music and arts education, he pointed to statistics that show students who take those classes typically perform better in school: They score higher in standardized tests, graduate more often from college and excel in their area of study. As governor, Huckabee helped create mandatory music and art education for every K-12 student.

Huckabee defies traditional political categorization on the issue - he believes creationism should be taught in schools alongside evolution, and that teacher pay should be raised. And he said that's the way it should be.

"Education is really not a typical political issue," he said. "One of the great frustrations I've had is that some people want to make education left, right, Republican, Democrat."

A believer in the limited role of the federal government, he said solutions most often lie in practical changes at the local level.

That didn't sit well with Betty DeBerg, a UNI religion professor, who pointed out that some schools fail not because of bad teachers and school boards, but because of issues out of their control, like poor funding from a low tax base.

"Would you support a federal mandate forcing states to develop an equitable funding model?" she asked.

Huckabee said he wouldn't, because the issue should be solved on the local level. Motivation for change would come, he said, when states start losing jobs and income because of poor education.

Contact Jens Manuel Krogstad at (319) 291-1580 or jens.krogstad@wcfcourier.com.

{M3Visit the Courier's political blog Caucus Cacophony, at WCFcourier.com, to read about Mike Huckabee's reaction to evangelical giant Pat Robertson passing him over to endorse Rudy Giuliani.