If America is going to continue its place as a world leader in future generations, there is no doubt that we must make a commitment to education. That commitment however, does not necessarily mean an increase in spending. According to the Department of Education, in the year 2006, total expenditures in public and secondary education amounted to $11,293 per student.  These are ample dollars with which to educate our children. Such funding should be directed to the classrooms.  We must relieve the system of the burden of never ending layers of administrative positions. 

Today, perhaps more than ever, we need to reevaluate the way we allocate our resources. We cannot allow a more of the same mentality, especially when it comes to something as important as education.  We must return to the basics of reading, writing and arithmetic.  Values and social issues should be taught at home and not through a national curriculum. 

As your representative, here are some issues that I would support in order to ensure that we provide an educational system that can respond to the current and future needs of our children:

1. I will support legislation which ensures parental choice and guarantees parental rights.

2. I will support legislation that encourages technological learning; however technology should never replace hands on learning or pen and paper methods. Our children need each of these in order to fully comprehend math operations and science concepts.

3. I will support legislation that limits the US Dept of Education’s influence in state and local run educational systems.  Given the influence of the United Nations on the national standards, I will fight to keep a basic wholesome curriculum that supports American traditions, values and beliefs.

4. I will support legislation that limits government mandates and control over federal money for schools. Federal mandates merely force the national curriculum and standards on our school districts.

5. I will support legislation that returns God and prayer to our children’s school days.  Research shows that since prayer was removed from our schools, “America has plummeted from righteous living, prosperity and success”.1,2

1. Gary Bergel, Banning Prayer in Public Schools Has Led to American’s Demise, (The Forerunner, May 1988).

2. David Barton, America: To Pray or Not to Pray, (Aledo, TX: Specialty Research Associates).