As a former teacher, I have firsthand experience as to how a proper education can impact a child’s future.
The more our local teachers, parents, principals and school districts focus on education policies, performance and accountability, the better every child will be for it in the end. As Nevada’s next U.S. Senator, I will fight to keep as much of our education tax dollars invested right here in Nevada, as well as the decisions on how best educate our kids.

Further, I will fight to ensure that a higher percentage of our tax dollars make their way directly to the classrooms where the actual teaching and learning are taking place. Currently in Nevada, less than 65 cents of every education tax dollar is spent in the classroom (for books, desks, chairs, blackboards, computers, other supplies, along with the teachers, their salaries and benefits). Too much taxpayers’ money is being directed on off-campus, bureaucratic and administrative programs.

When I served in the Nevada State Senate, I was honored to have worked with a handful of lawmakers to establish our state’s first charter schools legislation. It has always been my belief that our kids deserve the best education available, and that neither Washington D.C. politicians nor union bosses should stand in the way of proven, successful reforms. We should have choices for parents and students – between public schools, charters schools, private schools and home schooling. Choices that will ultimately benefit their children most.

For too long, we have failed generations of public school students by denying programs that work. As the education bureaucracy in Washington has increased, whether it be in its size, scope or price tag to the taxpayer, test scores have declined and American students have fallen behind their counterparts in other industrialized nations – especially in critical areas such as reading, math and science.

In my view, Washington does not need to implement further education laws and mandates that restrict local decisions in our local schools. We must allow Nevada’s parents, teachers and school districts to improve their own educations programs by providing competition and choice; true merit pay for teachers and principles; accountability and transparency in the development of policy and curriculum (as well as in scoring success from individual students, as well as schools); and, finally, we must resist the one-size-fits-all mentality imposed by federal election laws.

My federal plan for education is quite simple – leave more local tax dollars for local school districts to make local decisions that affect local students. The more Washington and union interests have increased their influence over public education, the further back our students have fallen behind. We must reverse this course and not fail yet another generation of future American workers. I have more faith in Nevadans getting this right than I do with education bureaucrats in Washington.