Issue Position: Education

Issue Position

Issue Position: Education

As the parent of two young children one of whom attends public schools, Jeff recognizes the importance of an educational system that prepares our children for the challenges posed by a global and technological economy. Jeff also realizes that the best way to improve that system is by strengthening local control, respecting and encouraging local initiatives, and loosening the ties that Washington, DC, bureaucrats have put on the hands of our school boards.

Despite a decade that has seen huge increases in the interference by the federal government in education - and a corresponding increase in the Department of Education's budget, from $33 billion in 1997 to $66 billion in 2007 - our public schools continue to fail our future leaders. An estimated 70% of eighth graders can't read at grade level and America ranks 19th in the world in high school graduation rate.

Clearly, the best thing that Washington, DC can do for public education is to get out of the way and let parents and local teachers, principals, and school boards do what they believe will work best rather than trying to fit a national one-size-fits-none paradigm.

Jeff sees another critical problem for public education in the lack of competition both within and among schools. Charter schools, vouchers, and home schooling should be supported and encouraged to bring competition directly to the public school system, letting the "customers", namely kids and their parents have choices based on the quality of education provided, much as we can choose a supermarket or a doctor. Additionally, merit pay for public school teachers can bring additional motivation to the best educators we have. As with almost every other aspect of American life, quality (and price) improve when a free market is allowed to flourish. There is no reason to think that education is exempt from those beneficial forces. Parents, not political bureaucrats, are the best people to decide which form of education suits their children the best. They should have a choice which school program provides the best education for their individual needs. If they choose to be both the parent and a home school educator, we should reward that choice, not punish their leadership.

The key to America's future is educating our youngest generation effectively and efficiently. We have demonstrated repeatedly that throwing more money at schools tends to fatten the teachers' unions without helping America's children. Jeff is committed to ensuring that the resources that get spent on public education are spent wisely and in the best interest of the students. It's the only way to keep America a leader in the global economy and to ensure that our children can enjoy an even better quality of life than our parents gave to us.

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