Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Republican Programs Foster Educational Freedom

Republican Programs Foster Educational Freedom

By Mike Bober

Education is one of the most important issues that the government can address as it determines the very nature of our future citizens. Will they be informed and inquisitive, driven to question the process and hold their leaders accountable? Or will they be apathetic sheep who accept that which is handed to them? With the exception of a few megalomaniacs bent on power and domination (mostly my fellow students in the School of Foreign Service), there is almost no one in this country who would prefer that our voting public consist of sheep.

Education itself is not a partisan issue. But the methods employed to provide that education, as well as the content itself, have become partisan issues. Despite the fact that spending on education continues to increase, student achievement continues to lag. This is because of a fundamental error in the way money is distributed. Republicans tend to favor educational freedom; this includes the freedom of school choice as well as the freedom from federal mandates that do not effectively address the needs of local schools. Through increased flexibility, Republicans aim to improve the quality of education for all students.

That first freedom, the freedom of school choice, refers to the debates over voucher programs and charter schools. While opinions are split within both parties, many Republicans favor the implementation of programs that allow parents a greater range of options. Voucher programs offer this flexibility. By providing parents with a credit to help pay for education at private and parochial institutions, these programs allow parents to choose the education they feel will benefit their children most.

Charter schools also allow parents a greater degree of control over the choice of where to send their children by offering goal-oriented alternatives to failing public schools. These two proposals provide alternatives to the current educational experience and its shortcomings.

It is the second freedom, the freedom from federal bureaucracy’s misguided directives, that forms the heart of the Republican stance on education. For far too long, the federal government has given states money for education while attaching very specific restrictions on how that money can be spent. This has resulted in schools spending money on unnecessary programs or, worse yet, missing out on these funds altogether. Republicans have made numerous efforts to remedy this. In fact, the Republican Education Plan, as conceived by the Republican members of the 106th Congress, deals almost exclusively with initiatives that take control of educational funding away from the federal government and give more autonomy to local school districts.

The Education Flexibility Act and the “Straight A’s” program provide increased freedom to local communities to determine the ways in which federal money can be spent. The Teacher Empowerment Act, another success of the Republican Party, allows local school officials to spend federal funds to recruit and train teachers as they see fit. And the best part about these programs is the fact that they are proving successful.

This success can be attributed to several factors, including the common sense answer that these programs allow those people who best know the needs of our schools to determine where funds should be used. But another important reason for the success of these programs is the accountability they require. The Education Flexibility Act and those like it benefit results-based local school programs, which must meet high standards in order to remain eligible. In this way, Republicans have provided freedom and responsibility to local schools, knowing that they will act in the best interest of their students. These programs allow communities to do what is right for their own children, while the federal government is simply required to hold those communities accountable.

I believe that education is the right of every person. And every person should receive the best education possible, so that he or she may become a well-informed and active participant in the discussion that shapes our country.

Education is a key issue in our society. In the short term, success can be measured in the increased achievement of our students. On this count, the current Republican initiatives are definitely proving successful. However, the results of the decisions now made regarding this issue will only be truly seen in the future, when today’s children step up to take leadership positions and make the decisions themselves.

Mike Bober is a senior in the School of Foreign Service and the chair of the College Republicans.

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