Issue Position: Education

Issue Position

America's competitiveness in a global economy depends on our ability to educate our next generation workforce. I believe we must promote common-sense policies that encourage both student and teacher participation in the educational process.

Since the 1970's, the federal government has led a top-down effort to improve our education system. Education spending per student has doubled, and the student-to-teacher ratio has dropped from 22.6 to 15.5. Despite these changes; however, graduation rates have remained stagnant at 70 percent, and the education system has seen little improvement.

Parents, teachers, and local school boards should lead the efforts to improve the education of our children, not the federal government. Education is best left in the hands of those that know the specific needs of each student. Congress should adopt responsible legislation that will empower the states to play a more active role in a child's education.

Pro-Education Policies:

Promoting school choice.
Providing tax credits for parents who choose to send their children to private schools.
Providing tax credits for corporations that provide low-income student scholarships.
Increasing contribution limits to education savings accounts.
Adopting performance-based teacher reviews.
Eliminating ineffective federal regulations and mandates that harm our children's education.

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