As someone who served on my local school board, I understand the importance of leaving education decisions in the hands of local elected school boards.  Since the creation of the federal Department of Education in Washington under then-President Jimmy Carter, things have gotten worse - not better.

I trust local school boards, parents and teachers more than bureaucrats in Washington, DC.  As we consider education policy in the Congress, I am committed to returning decision-making authority to where it belongs - with parents, teachers, principle and local school boards.  They are more accountable to the voters and to parents, and they are more responsive and attentive to the needs of students.

An education is a powerful thing.  Whether in its ability to pull an individual out of poverty or allow a country to promote its national strategic interests, few things are more important to a prosperous future for the United States than cultivating a strong education system.  Anyone who is a parent understands that each child is different and learns differently.  The one-size-fits-all approaches increasingly dictated from Washington over the past several decades have failed our children, and it is long past due that we return more power and authority to states and localities.