Education
President Ronald Regan once said, "We developed at the local school district level probably the best public school system in the world. Or it was until the Federal Government added Federal interference to Federal financial aid and eroded educational quality in the process."
Education in this country has never been more deficient than it is now. Yet education is the greatest, most secure investment our country and its taxpayers can make for our future.
My Education Platform Rests On Three Areas Of Concern
1. Reforming the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Legislation, so it works
2. Providing the Ability for every American to attend the college, university or trade school of his or her choice
3. Addressing the educational and developmental needs of the most overlooked segment of our society, the mentally and physically handicapped.
Reforming No Child Left Behind
A sound education is the basis for a full, productive, and maximally-fulfilling life. Once obtained, it can never be taken away from you. Learning is a process that never ends, but must begin with a yearning to learn. This can be nurtured in the younger stages through parental and family involvement while the child is most apt to learn. Encouraging and developing a student's interests in the world around them will help create the incentive for them to do well academically and as a citizen.
NCLB was established to provide a standard across this country to encourage educational development and root out ineffective school systems. NCLB has instead given more strength to the Department of Education and its failed goal of placing students into groups.
NCLB has worked well in some schools, but has been a disaster in others. Upon entering Congress I would set out to review the plans for reforming NCLB to make it work better for all students.
American Opportunity Scholarship Program
What is so unfortunate is that there are millions of Americans who want to further their educations, but cannot afford the expenses. I was one of those, but found a way through serving in our armed forces and receiving the GI Bill to help with costs. When there's a will, there is almost always a way. But many Americans with the ability and desire to learn do not pursue college or give up due to money. That is why I believe there is no better investment that our government can make than in the education of its citizens.
Many countries send their students to the USA for further education and pay all the students' expenses. They are obligated to return home and work in their countries, and thereby benefit the economies and cultures of their homelands. We, however, let a huge portion of our population languish in stalled educations because of lack of funds. Meanwhile, we are giving billions of dollars away in foreign aid and spending billions on ridiculous earmark projects.
Like other government agencies that have not fulfilled their intended purposes (i.e., Department of Energy), our federal Department of Education has not improved the level of education in this country. Adding a layer of bureaucracy does not solve a problem. If anything, it only complicates it further, putting more restraints and obstacles in the way of ingenuity and progress. Government should facilitate more and regulate less.
My plan to allow any American access to a college education is simple. The first step is for an individual to prove he or she has the ambition and will to work hard and save for initial tuition. They must put up the first term's tuition to be accepted into the program. At the successful ("C" average or better) completion of that term, Uncle Sam will repay that amount to use for the next school term. Any increase in tuition must be made up by the individual, but repayment at the end of the term will include that additional amount. This will be a step-by-step method of working through a college degree, and at graduation, the final tuition will be repaid and the overall tuition expense will be zero for the student.
This "American Opportunity Scholarship Program" is not only equal in opportunity, but has no age restrictions. Anyone, at any age, can begin or resume a college education. It may offer a path to another career, and oftentimes we realize that the career we initially chose is not what we believed it to be, or is in decline. The possibility of second or even third career in a lifetime would be more available to us all. In general, our country would receive the greatest benefit from this program. The innovative nature of the American spirit would be enhanced, and we would continue to lead the world in technology and science.
Our Most Challenged Citizens
Our citizens with physical and mental disabilities have seen education programs and aid rise and fall, improve and decline in our country. When the economy is failing, the most often cuts are made in funding for mental health, even though this is the group that has the greatest need for financial support. Many children with disabilities learn at a slower pace than others, but still achieve their goals. Providing the help they need can mean the difference between the creation of a contributing member of society or a dependent upon society. All Americans deserve the opportunity to realize their greatest potentials. That is, in fact, part of the American Dream.
