I pledge to push for legislation that will give parents the freedom and responsibility to choose the educational option that best meets their children’s needs.

One of the greatest freedoms in America is the right to send your kids to the school of your choice – public, private, or home school. But as a result of the way schools are funded not everyone has the financial ability to make these choices. We need to give parents the financial freedom and responsibility to make the educational choices that best suits their family.

One way to give parents more freedom is to begin moving education back to the local city and county school districts. Our school boards should not have to meet unnecessary federal regulations or to beg the bureaucrats in Washington for the money that comes from Ohio taxpayers. The local community is better suited for meeting the needs of their citizens. Moreover, this plan takes the power away from the special interest groups and gives it back to the parents. As it currently stands, what can a parent or community do against the power wielded by the federal government?

A great example of this type of intrusion into the educational system by the federal government is the $4.35 billion Race to the Top competitive grant program that is part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). Not surprisingly, 50% of the $409 million Ohio may receive will never see the inside of a classroom.  Much of it is slated for new staff at the Ohio Department of Education (ODE):

“News that Ohio had made the finals came as some were questioning the state's proposal, including plans to spend half the money retained by the state to hire 50 new staff members. Ohio also proposes spending millions on public relations, including $600,000 for two "cultural anthropologists" to develop Race to the Top stories and $320,000 to create "a Race to the Top communications plan" (Source: Columbus Dispatch 3/5/10)

Other non-classroom expenditures proposed include:
$190,000 for a graphic designer to design web content and community outreach
$40,000 to develop web pages and redesign portions of ODE website
$160,000 to develop creative messaging for Race to the Top stories
$230,000 to produce and distribute stories in print and online
$400,000 to produce and distribute video compilation of Race to the Top stories
(Source: ODE Race to the Top Application)

This whole Race to the Top program is a great example of how the federal government uses money to make the states jump through hoops. This funding will last only four years. And of all the over 1,200 school districts in Ohio, only 400 applied to receive the other 50% the state is not taking. Some of the school districts in Ohio understood that the amount of money they would receive did not justify the effort. (Source: The Daily Record)

Let’s get the state and federal bureaucracies out of our pockets and out of educating our children. They clearly are more interested in spending the money on pet projects than teaching our children.

By implementing parental choice, Ohio will see an increase in competition between the different school systems. This will improve the overall quality in both the public and private schools. We instinctively understand that competition improves quality. Just look at any product where there is competition. The cell phone companies are a great example. Because of the competition between the different carriers, we have greater choice in the type of phone, plan, and services. And the products get better every year. A recent study by the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice found the following results when students in failing schools were given scholarships to go to a different school:

Ohio’s Educational Choice (EdChoice) Scholarship Program is a successful catalyst for improving the performance of failing public schools, according to a study released in August by the Indiana-based Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice and cosponsored by the Alliance.29 The study found that in failing schools serving voucher- eligible children, math and reading scores improved as a result of voucher competition. Furthermore, no negative effects were detected for public schools—a finding that significantly undercuts opponents’ arguments that school choice harms public schools.

Giving parents the financial freedom to choose the best educational program for their children is a win-win scenario for parents, students, teachers, and the communities.