Smarter Education
Smarter education policies will create better schools.

One in four kids in the Third District who enter ninth grade will not graduate from high school. Of those that do graduate and choose to go on to college, 70% will require remedial classes.

Some say that we are failing our children by not providing them with the quality education that should be the privilege of every American.

I say that we are not only failing our children, we are failing our country. By not properly educating our youth, we are not creating the work force that will enable our nation to continue to be the economic engine of the entire world. If our schools are not as good (or better) than other nations around the world, America will decline in importance and strength. Most important of all, we must nurture the development of enlightened, well-educated, and capable citizens required by a self-governing Republic.

To address this challenge we must continue to push for excellence in our classrooms. Our students need dynamic educators in every class who have the skills needed to move them to higher levels of proficiency. Because ...

of this, our teachers must be given the training and the materials needed to effectively engage all students in our diverse classrooms.

Teacher preparation must be of the highest quality so that our teaching force has a solid background in the content they are licensed to teach as well as in the management techniques that are needed for student success. State and local education agencies must follow a well-articulated set of standards to be mastered at each grade level and then provide teachers the professional development training that is needed to implement those standards effectively.

As a Member of Congress I will work for two simple actions to help support local, parental control of education:

1) Have no federally-mandated program dictating to classrooms. Specifically, I will vote against re-authorizing "No Child Left Behind."

2) Sponsor legislation that would require any funds awarded from the U.S. Government to the states (8-11% of the total education budget in the case of Tennessee) to follow the student. This permits competition in public schools and allows parents to use these funds provided via tax credits for private school or home school choices. Parents know best, not the federal government.

Although I have high regard for our public school teachers, I also recognize the importance of options for our families. Allowing parents to choose alternate means of educating their children, including homeschooling, without excessive government interference should remain a respected and protected right.

Any business leader will tell you that competitive forces drive them to improve. It is my position that charter schools also bring more competition into the education marketplace. Charter schools work; we need to make it easier to get them started and funded. Our charter schools and public schools can meet or exceed the standards set by our state.