Issue Position: Education

Issue Position

Congressman Poe feels our children are the future of our country that our education system must assist parents in preparing them for life, both for citizenship and to compete in the global economy of the 21st Century and that the best way to do this is to return control of, and accountability for, K-12 education to the people who know our children and their needs the best: parents and local educators.

Congressman Poe feels the history of Federal involvement in K-12 education is a history of "unfunded mandates", where Washington imposes requirements on local schools without providing funds to cover the extra costs involved. He opposes legislation that creates costly, unfunded mandates and feels this, along with bureaucratic paperwork, takes instructional time away form educators and students.

Ted Poe also supports reviewing and overturning all policies and court decisions that have made it more difficult to keep basic order in our schools. He strongly believes that without order, education is impossible and that no child has the right to disrupt the learning of other students. Congressman Poe believes it must be possible for teachers to hold parents and students accountable for the behavior of students in school.

Additionally, Ted Poe believes college and technical training after high school must be affordable to the middle class. Considering the wealthy can usually afford college and those with certain low income can often receive some aid through grants, Congressman Poe feels the middle class is finding it increasingly difficult to pay for education past high school. He feels options such as additional tax breaks and tax-free educational savings accounts should be considered.

Source