Mitt Romney on Education

With such high profile issues as the war in Iraq and the state of the economy at the forefront of voter's minds, education seems to be taking a backseat. But for parents, it may be the single most important issue out there. So we asked Alex Burgos, a campaign spokesman for the Mitt Romney campaign, to share the presidential hopeful's views on the most vital educational issues of today. Wondering where he stands on testing? NCLB? School choice? Here's our cheat sheet on education according to Romney:

Standardized Testing

Accountability is one of Romney's keynote issues, and he believes that high standards are critical to high student achievement. That means that he sees consistent student achievement on standardized tests as square one for improving the education system. “We should accurately measure the progress of our kids and ensure the accountability of their schools through appropriate standardized testing,” Romney says. However, for parents concerned that standardized testing doesn't fully measure student achievement, he does allow for other methods of student evaluation. The catch? Only states that meet or exceed testing requirements will be allowed “additional flexibility in how student performance is measured,” says Romney. So if schools perform well, they get greater flexibility for assessment in the future.

School Choice

The issue of school choice sounds deceptively simple, but it's one of the most hotly debated educational issues of all time. So, where does Mitt Romney stand? Firmly in the pro-school-choice camp. Romney is a staunch supporter of school choice, meaning that he supports charter schools and homeschooling, though he hasn't stuck his oar too deep into the debate over school vouchers. “Kids in failing schools deserve access to the resources and opportunities they need to succeed,” Romney states. “We should promote greater choice in education through mechanisms like charter schools.”

No Child Left Behind

Arguably the hottest topic in education today, NCLB is up for renewal, and parents and politicians alike are mulling over its future. Romney, for the most part, is supportive of NCLB. “It is crucially important for us to set high goals in education so that our kids can succeed in the new global economy,” he says, “and No Child Left Behind has helped to move us in the right direction.” However, although he is a believer in student and school accountability, he says that there is room for change, stating that “some improvements need to be made to the law.” These include putting more focus on individual student achievement, rather than the overall progress of specific schools, and adding flexibility in testing for high-achieving schools.

College Funding and Affordability

Many countries subsidize the cost of college attendance, and, with the cost of college rising dramatically every year, parents and students alike are wondering what the next president might do to help. Romney plans to help families save, rather than focusing on direct government assistance. According to Burgos, “He wants to empower families to save for their children's education by making money earned on savings interest, capital gains and dividends tax-free for all middle class taxpayers. In this way, middle class families could save more money for education or a home.” In other words, Romney wants to make saving money easier, so that college doesn't break the bank when it is time to take the plunge.

Universal Preschool

Providing universal preschool is another topic in education attracting attention from parents and politicians. However, Burgos says that Romney has no articulated stance on this issue. “To my knowledge, he has not discussed universal Pre-K during the campaign,” says Burgos.

Like many in his party, Romney is hesitant to suggest sweeping educational reform on the federal level. “Our system works best when we have greater local control of our schools,” he says. In other words, he believes in letting individual states and local school districts decide what, and how, to teach. He also stresses the importance of the most local governing bodies of all: you. “Parents are crucial to the educational success of their kids, and we need to do more to ensure that they play a central role in improving our educational system.” First step? The ballot box.

Want to read more candidate viewpoints? Check out our coverage of the presidential race: Election Fever 2008