Education

Improving education, reforming our school system, and modernizing our educational facilities have been among my top priorities since coming to Congress.  There is no better way to ensure the success of our nation and our children than to provide quality and excellence in the classroom.  I believe it is critical that we act now to ensure our children are well prepared for the challenges of the 21st Century and the global marketplace.

As Congress continues its work on reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, I believe we must take steps in reducing Federal influence in education, while returning more decision making to our states and local school boards. While I believe initiatives like No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top had noble intentions, we cannot improve education through one size fits all models.  Additional Federal requirements restrict the ability of states and local school districts to innovate and to develop accountability programs that properly gauge teacher performance and improve failing schools.  Our local school boards are better equipped to assess the needs of our schools and students than a bureaucrat in Washington.

I look forward to working with my colleagues in Congress on ways to improve education so our children will be more competitive in an ever changing marketplace.  I understand the difficulties in the current economic environment, but I am confident we can achieve our goals of increasing accessibility, improving quality and responsibility in education while being fiscally responsible.