Education

Key Points
0 1 2 3 4
Key Points
  • Citizens, legislators, and regulators should separate the concept of public education from the monopolistic delivery system and embrace 21st-century methods of connecting students with learning experiences.
  • Legislators should improve or pass charter school laws, striking a balance between innovation, autonomy, and accountability.
  • Legislators should create or expand the type(s) of school choice program that best suits their state: vouchers, tax credit scholarships, homeschooling, and education savings accounts.
  • Legislators and regulatory agencies should be wary of attempts to re-regulate innovative and/or private educational options, which could expose them to the death of the thousand bureaucratic cuts and sacrifice the freedoms that allow them to succeed.
  • Institutions of higher education should be transparent about what outcomes students can expect and how much money they will have to spend or borrow.

An excellent education has long been recognized as key to the American Dream. Unfortunately, the current monopolistic and expensive K-12 education system is failing our students, leaving them unprepared for college, careers, or life. Similarly, our higher education system is leaving students with higher debt burdens and fewer career guarantees than ever before.

While the left argues that our ailing public education system can be fixed with ever-greater quantities of taxpayer dollars, the more than $600 billion we currently spend nationwide reflects a large increase in funds over the last 30 years, in exchange for total stagnation – or worse, declines – in achievement. On the college level, subsidies meant to help college students struggling to pay tuition have instead caused prices to skyrocket well above inflation.

Instead of throwing more money at the problem, it’s time to let parents take back control over their children’s educations by allowing them to apply competitive pressure to schools and educational providers. Innovative, parent-empowering choices such as charter schools, voucher programs, tax credit scholarships, homeschool, and education savings accounts allow each child the opportunity to reach his or her potential. In higher education, greater transparency is needed to ensure that students and parents know what they are paying for, and with what prospects they are likely to graduate.

Instead of endless top-down mandates, these revolutionary inroads into the education system are coming from the states. Forty-two states and the District of Columbia have laws on the books allowing charter schools to operate, while half the states have some form of private school choice program. The states should continue to expand parent choice and push educational institutions to compete with each other to provide the best product, just like providers of any other service.

Articles

Education

Education Freedom and Tax Cuts in Iowa: Speaker Pro Tem. John Wills at the ALEC Annual Meeting

Lars Dalseide/September 30, 2024
In the News

School Choice in Iowa Puts Students First: Lisa B. Nelson & John Wills in the Des Moines Register

Energy

New Hampshire Rep. Jeanine Notter on ALEC TV

+ All Education Articles

Publications

+ All Education Publications

Model Policies

  • Act to Prohibit Anti-Semitism in State K-20 Educational Institutions Final

    Preamble WHEREAS, a historic rise in antisemitic violence, harassment, and discrimination has occurred at K-12 schools, colleges, and universities across the United States, targeting Jewish students; WHEREAS, in April 2024, the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) found that the number of FBI investigations into antisemitic hate crimes…

  • The School Board Election Date Act Final

    Section 1. Date of School Board Elections (A) The date of a school district’s election for members of its board of education shall be held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November, simultaneously with the general election. (B) Replacement of school board members…

  • SCOTUS Anti-Discrimination Implementation Act Final

    1 – Legislative purpose and findings. (a) Legislative purpose. (i) It is the intent of the Legislature to ensure that no person, on the ground of race, color, or ethnicity, shall be excluded from participation in, or be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination in, any…

  • Use of AI Firearm Detection Software in Schools Final

    Section 1. School District Safety and Security (A) From existing appropriations provided for school security purposes, the Department of Education may enter into a contract with a private vendor for firearm detection software. Such software shall: (a) Detect and alert school district personnel and first responders…

  • Statement of Principles: Microschooling Final

    I. Parental Choice Parents should have the freedom to choose the education experiences (public school, homeschool, private school, charter school, microschool, virtual school, etc.) that best serve their child. Policies should not allow government bureaucrats to limit this freedom. New state laws and local regulations should protect this right and…

  • Chronic Absenteeism Model Policy Final

    Section 1. (A) A school district Superintendent, or his or her designee, may file a truancy petition if it is determined that: (a) A student subject to compulsory school attendance has unexcused absences totaling more than twenty percent (20%) of calendar school days or the same…

+ All Education Model Policies

Task Forces

Education and Workforce Development

The mission of the ALEC Education and Workforce Development Task Force is to promote excellence in…

Press Releases

+ All Education Press Releases