Porter Goss: “When it comes to educating our kids, Washington does not know best. For too long we have had this top-down approach here…”

“When it comes to educating our kids, Washington does not know best. For too long we have had this top-down approach here that the Federal role in education is what it should be, and who is paying the price for the failure? Our kids are paying the price, and we all know it. They are not receiving the quality education they deserve, parents are certainly not being utilized to their full potential in the education process, and the time has come for change. I happen to think charter schools represent good change, a unique approach that empowers parents, teachers, students, letting them work together to determine what actually works in education. Local communities, not Washington politicians or special interests, establish then what the curriculum is going to be and how it works. I think it is a fact, charter schools are cost-effective. They get money to the classroom, they enhance accountability, and are gaining popularity around the country. It is time to deal with that. The HELP Scholarship Act, to provide real educational opportunities for the poorest of the poor in America, this is a good idea. The real question though is a far more reasonable one: Do you support giving local communities the option, and I say option, of using some Federal dollars on scholarships for their poorest children? Who would say, no? That makes good sense.”