New York State Senator Zeldin Supports Women's Initiatives, Part 4

Statement

Part 4: Improving America's Education System

New York State Senator Lee M. Zeldin, Republican and Conservative Party candidate for Congress in New York's First Congressional District, today released the fourth of a four part series of statements on supporting women's initiatives.

"We already know how differently my opponent and I view health care: he gave us Obamacare, and I would improve women's access to quality and affordable health care. We must also tackle education reform. A quality education is a critically important stepping stone to setting up a child for success in life. I believe in more choices for parents, higher standards for students, and empowering more local leaders, not Washington bureaucrats.

I fully support higher standards in our schools. Unfortunately, Common Core is not the answer. Standards sound great, but not if they are one-size-fits-all and disregard the uniqueness of each student. The federal government dangled carrots in front of cash strapped states, encouraging them to sign on to Common Core standards in exchange for billions in federal funding. We have standards that were created nationally, tests created by the states and then curriculum set by the local level. No one is talking to each other, and our children are caught in the crosshairs. The roll out of Common Core has been nothing short of a disaster and is setting our children up for failure. As a father of two school-aged daughters, this is personal for my family and my daughters' generation.

As a New York State Senator, I led the fight against the implementation of Common Core. These standards rely heavily on testing and too much just isn't age appropriate. While my opponent supports Common Core, I strongly believe we can and must do better.

I also am a firm believer that parents, not bureaucrats in Washington, are best equipped to choose the best education for their children. I also believe that children should not be denied a quality education based on their zip code or economic circumstances. When it comes down to it, parents deserve the final say and more choices with regards to their child's education. For example, some parents choose public school or private school, while others choose to home school their children. Our children deserve better, and as your Congressman, I intend to deliver on that.

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