Our children really are our future and running for public office means I will have influence on the spending and rules that govern their education. It's important then to share with you where I stand on this critical investment.
Public school systems are just that: public. They are a necessary form of socialism that each district pays for and looks to the state for help with so I think it only fair that the educators answer to the state legislatures rather than school boards for many rules. Current rules are designed to protect teachers rather than students. Even with reforms that Governor Hickenlooper signed recently, the teachers have ample protection. It currently takes two consecutive years with poor reviews for a teacher to even be considered for the chopping block. A teacher can literally sit in the corner and let the kids sleep for an entire year and not be punished for it. What is more, the teachers unions are fighting hard to protect the salaries of these individuals at the cost of our students.
Teaching is a privilege and should be treated as such, instead of as a right. It is time our government set strict rules to the public system that reflect this. I will work hard to completely remove the teachers unions and tenure from our public schools. Neither one are in the best interest of the students. At the same time I would work to provide incentives for teachers whose students had consistently high marks. This will be a multi-stage process to get the focus of schools entirely on children. The first law that needs to be implemented will prevent future teacher contracts from allowing participation in unions or receiving any form of tenure. The second step will lock all raises for current teachers dependent on one of two conditions; they voluntarily give up their tenure and union contracts or lose state funding. The third and final step will implement punishment for teachers who are fired for things such as conduct unbecoming, sexual contact with students, moral turpitude, and other criminal activity; they will have to give up the portion of their retirement benefits paid by the school. You may think this amount of regulation is contrary to my small government stance, but remember that public education is an entirely socialized activity with an entirely government regulatory scheme.
It seems that the basic structure of our schools is meant to benefit only certain people, as well. Emphasis is placed on the importance of going to college regardless of the degree and much money is spent, which does not help the student in the real world. I believe the answer lies in modeling a new style of education system similar to Germany's. Not all students are created equal. Some are destined to just get through high school while some are destined to be doctors. Some people are destined to be mechanics while others have an aptitude for teaching or another degree-based career. I envision a system with a more seamless flow from high school into the college program best suited to the individual's career ideals. Students with learning deficiencies would be able to receive a modified style of diploma for passing the 11th grade, much like Germany. Students destined to a skilled labor job will be directed to trade schools and technical schools based on placement testing and desired career. The same would apply to those who want to be doctors, teachers, engineers, pilots or any other career.
Another idea to improve student performance is to model a program off of the single room schoolhouses of old. The idea in those days was that the best way to learn was to teach and the teacher was tied up with all grades and couldn't help everyone at once. Kids were expected to help those under them and learned quickly by tutoring the next lower grade. A similar system in our schools, which encourages kids to help tutor, would be beneficial to all. The time to do this already exists in most schools during study hall hours.
Overall these programs will get the foundation of our public education system back on par with the private systems, which perform so well and are prohibitively expensive to most families. This reform is a great investment into the future of Colorado.
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