Paul Praises Texas Home Schoolers PDF Print E-mail
FOR RELEASE: May 5, 2000

Paul Praises Texas Home Schoolers Calls for Congress to Put Parents in Charge of Education

Washington, DC -- On Thursday Congressman Ron Paul observed Texas Home School Appreciation week with a speech before Congress praising the efforts of Texas parents who have chosen to educate their children at home. "While serving in Congress, I have had the opportunity to get to know many of the home schooling parents in my district. I am very impressed by the job these parents are doing in providing their children with a quality education."
"Home schooling is becoming a popular option for parents across the country, " Paul informed his colleagues, "In Texas alone, there are approximately seventy five thousand home schooling families educating an average of three children per household. Home schooling is producing some outstanding results. For example, according to a 1997 study, the average home schooled student scores near the ninetieth percentile on standardized academic achievement tests in reading, mathematics, social studies, and science! Further proof of the success of home schooling is the fact that in recent years, self-identified home schoolers have scored well above the national average on both the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) and the American College Test (ACT)."
In order to help home schoolers and parents devote more of their resources to their children's education, Congressman Paul has introduced the Family Education Freedom Act (HR 935). This bill provides all parents a $3,000 per child tax credit for K-12 education expenses. The Family Education Freedom Act will benefit home schooling parents as well as parents who choose to send their children to public or private schools. Parents who choose to send their children to private school may use their tax credit to help cover the cost of tuition. Parents who choose to send their children to public schools may use their tax credit to help finance the purchase of educational tools such as computers, extracurricular activities like music programs, as well as tutoring and other special services for their children.
Paul urged his colleagues to support HR 935, saying, "The best way to improve education is to return control over education resources to the people who best know their children's unique needs: those children's parents. Congress should empower all parents, whether they choose to home school or send their child to a public or private school, with the means to control their child's education. That is why I believe the most important education bill introduced in this Congress is the Family Education Freedom Act."