At an address before a Christian Science Monitor breakfast event in Washington, D.C. this morning, Gov. Bobby Jindal is laying out his plan for a national education policy that calls for less federal involvement and more parental choice.
“Most notably, Jindal will reiterate his opposition to Common Core—a not-too-subtle rebuke of GOP presidential front-runner Jeb Bush’s support for the educational standards that were once widely supported by most governors of both parties [including Jindal],” reports National Journal, which was given an advance look at Jindal’s plan and an interview with the governor.
Without mentioning Bush by name, Jindal tells National Journal that “there’s a belief among some that don’t trust the states, they don’t trust parents, [it’s] this belief that a centralized elite knows better” by supporting Common Core.
Jindal is releasing his plan through his policy-focused nonprofit AmericaNext, through which he unveiled his national health care plan and alternative to the Affordable Care Act in April last year.
“In short, America’s education system is set up as a collective, a series of interlocking, coercive monopolies, instead of an individual-driven ecosystem of freedom and choice where people willingly work together to accomplish their mutual goals,” reads an executive summary of the plan. “How should lawmakers and citizens cultivate a thriving education ecosystem and improve the lives of their fellow Americans? By holding education policies against three criteria: 1. Parent choice; 2. Limited government; 3. And educator freedom.”
“Jindal argues that if parents have more choice in where to send their kids to school—be it local public schools, charter schools, or using vouchers for private or parochial education—the renewed competition will itself force public schools to do a better job,” National Journal reports. “His report calls for less-regimented testing requirements, even as he supports stronger state accountability measures so parents can determine the best schools for their children.”
Read the full story. See an executive summary of Jindal’s plan, or take a look at the entire plan.
