Nothing is more important than preparing our next generation of leaders, and few North Carolinians are as valuable as our teachers. All of our children deserve the best education we can provide. While we have a lot to be thankful for in our schools, we must improve the quality of our education. Sadly, North Carolina lags behind on test scores and graduation rates, consistently ranked among the lowest performing states. This is unacceptable. I will not accept anything less than North Carolina leading the way as a model for other states on student achievement, which means we must reform our current education system.
Improve Accountability
Strengthening our children’s education begins with accountability, and I believe nothing creates accountability better than competition. That’s why we removed the cap on charter schools in one of our first actions as a Republican majority in the General Assembly. Low-performing schools should not be rewarded for bad performance. Bad administrators and teachers should be replaced. Failing, needy students are hurt the most by an education system that looks the other way.
Prioritize the Classroom
We cannot allow partisan unions to stand in the way of progress. Our children suffer when labor unions protect bad teachers, failing schools, and their own bureaucracy. That’s why I insisted on a budget that fully funds the classroom and begins to reward our best teachers with additional pay for success.
Empower Local Control
As a former President of a Parent Teacher Student Association, I know we need to put the authority for running schools in the hands of the people closest to our children. The state’s education bureaucracy must be cut, and control returned to local school boards and communities. Parents know best what their children need, and the state must make every effort to empower parents to be involved in their child’s learning.
