Issues: Education

The most important thing we can do to ensure successful and happy lives for our children is to invest in their education today. Every American child deserves the benefits of a good education, good teachers and a safe and productive school environment. The federal government should work hand in hand with parents to guarantee our children receive nothing less. Too many teenagers suffer from poor teachers, unaccountable administrators and a status quo that encourages mediocrity.

It is important to remember that education is a partnership between the federal and local government, teachers and, most importantly, parents. I am committed to supporting education policies that will fully fund our schools, encourage qualified young people to teach and ensure that our local schools are accountable for the performance of their students. Until we can eliminate the federal government's reign over our education system (which I support), we have to begin to wean our state educational infrastructure and that will not be an easy task.  It requires real leadership and I am willing to take that post.

As a father of six children, I understand that no amount of taxpayer dollars can or should substitute for a parent reading to his or her child, a home environment that encourages studying, and a respect for academic achievement that only a parent can instill. We should never forget the most important figures in every child’s life are his or her parents.