Teachers unions oppose the plan that would help students and increase teachers' pay
Education
A high-quality K-12 educational system is a critical component of ensuring every student has the opportunity to thrive in adulthood. It needs to impart basic skills and knowledge, like reading, writing, and math, and empower students to secure a good job upon graduating. That’s why graduating high school is the first step of the rightly-celebrated “success sequence.”
Unfortunately, our current K-12 public education system is failing too many students and parents. Despite spending an average of more than $16,00 per student annually, many students are behind in reading, writing, and math proficiencies. The students suffering the most are those most in need: children from low-income households.
Government subsidized college and university has enabled public universities to explode their price tags, while softening their grading standards, leaving students with mountains of debt and unprepared for the workforce.
America needs a career-first education system that helps all children reach their potential in adulthood, including by preparing children for the workforce or succeeding in postsecondary education. At the same time, it should set aside its broken degree-first model.
The United States should give parents the power to choose high-quality learning environments for their children. Post-secondary education should focus on ensuring students get skills valued by employers. Colleges should focus on degrees that will prepare students for in-demand careers and help them build a better future. Families also need to understand the return on investment to assess the potential value of going to college.
All Education
District Innovation Schools are an improvement, but policymakers should not prioritize them at the expense of other school options.
South Dakota, Minnesota, and Iowa produced the highest student returns on investment. Hawaii, Montana, and Louisiana produced the lowest.
With mass cancellation potentially off the table, it is time for policymakers to think about better ways to fix federal student loans
The percentage of children who could not perform basic skills grew after two years of school closures during the pandemic, confirming our worst fears
The proposed ‘gainful employment’ rule would deny funding to some low-value higher education programs, but there would be collateral damage.
Charter schools dramatically outperform their district counterparts, but the state’s policy solution is not a panacea.
This post is adapted from remarks I delivered at a recent roundtable hosted by the House Select Committee on Economic Disparity and Fairness in Growth