Rand Paul presidential campaign, 2016/Education
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 Rand Paul |
U.S. Senator (Assumed office: 2011) |
 Republican candidate: |
2028 • 2024 • 2020 • 2016 |
This page was current as of the 2016 election.
- The U.S. Senate approved the conference report for S. 1177 - Student Success Act on December 9, 2015. Joining 11 other Republicans, Rand Paul voted against the measure, which overhauled the No Child Left Behind Act. President Obama signed the bill into law on December 10, 2015. [2][3]
| Paul discusses eliminating the Department of Education in April 2014. |
- Paul cosponsored S 182 - Learning Opportunities Created At Local Level Act or the LOCAL Level Act in January 2015, which would prevent the federal government from issuing mandates on elementary and secondary school curriculum, academic standards or contingent financial support.[4]
- During an event at the University of Chicago's Institute of Politics in April 2014, Paul discussed education policy with Institute Director David Axelrod and argued that control of education should be returned to the state and local level. Paul explained, "Education historically was a state and local subject and I think that what we've seen is since we've spent about a hundred billion dollars in the Department of Education each year and that's been going on since 1980. I'm not so sure we're better off than we were before."[5]
- At this lecture, Paul also advocated for implementing distance learning programs. Using the Khan Academy as an example, Paul explained, "If you have one person in the country who is, like, the best at explaining calculus, that person maybe should teach every calculus class in the country,” the senator said. “You'd still have local teachers to reinforce and try to explain and help the kids, but you'd have some of these extraordinary teachers teaching millions of people in the classroom.”[6][5]
- In a 2014 interview on FOX News, Paul opposed the Common Core. Paul said, “I don’t think really the curriculum ought to be nationalized. I think each state can handle education better than the federal government. The same way that the federal government doesn’t know whether you are a good teacher or not, they also don’t know what curriculum is the best. I think more innovation would be by giving more freedom to the states and localities. So, I’m for less federal control of education and more local control.”[7]
- According to a 2013 article in The Washington Post, Paul supported charter schools, voucher programs, and permitting students to attend "any public school in a community, regardless of their neighborhood and property lines." To this end, in May 2014, Paul cosponsored S 2304 - Expanding Opportunity through Quality Charter Schools Act.[8][9]
- In July 2014, Paul elaborated on his support for choice in education at the National Urban League's annual conference. Paul said, "They say education is the great equalizer, but all schools aren't equal. Many of the large schools in our cities are functioning with low standards. Many of the schools have become dropout factories. Some schools lack discipline and are unsafe. I saw the status quo is unacceptable. But Washington has no clue how to fix this problem. Washington has no clue how to fix education. Washington doesn't know whether you're a good teacher or a bad teacher. We should allow innovation to occur at the local level. I propose that we allow school charters, school choice, vouchers, competition. Competition breeds excellence and encourages innovation. And boy, we really need innovation. My kids went to great public schools. I went to great public schools. The president's kids go to great private schools. There are a lot of choices out there. I want to make it where all American get the option of choosing the best schools for their kids."[10]
Recent news
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See also
Footnotes
- ↑ Politico, "Rand Paul dropping out of White House race," February 3, 2016
- ↑ The Hill, "Senate approves No Child Left Behind rewrite, sending legislation to White House," December 9, 2015
- ↑ NBC Washington, "Obama Set to Sign Education Overhaul Bill to Replace No Child Left Behind," December 10, 2015
- ↑ Congress.gov, "S.182 - LOCAL Level Act," accessed May 26, 2015
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 YouTube, "Sen. Rand Paul on Eliminating the Department of Education," accessed February 13, 2015
- ↑ Politico, “Rand Paul to make education push – First look: Fundraisers in the House – Waiting for waivers – Teachers take to the streets – Charter report sparks dispute," July 24, 2014
- ↑ FOX News, "Sen. Rand Paul on Harry Reid versus rancher Cliven Bundy: We need to tone down the rhetoric, but the government has overreached," April 21, 2014
- ↑ The Washington Post, "Rand Paul wants more school choice for poor, minority students," July 29, 2013
- ↑ Congress.gov, "Expanding Opportunity through Quality Charter Schools Act," accessed May 26, 2015
- ↑ Education Week, "Sen. Rand Paul Talks School Choice at the National Urban League Conference," July 25, 2014
