Huntsman: Scale down Dept of Education

Hey feds, leave those kids alone

During his 1980 presidential campaign, Ronald Reagan vowed to abolish the Department of Education, which like malaise, was a Jimmy Carter creation. In a Concord Monitor op-ed, Jon Huntsman says he wants to scale down the superfluous agency, then remove it from the cabinet.

I was the first governor to reject the unnecessary federal overreach of No Child Left Behind - which imposed a multitude of burdensome mandates and regulations on states - and as president I will seek its full repeal.

Recognizing that competition breeds excellence, we must break down the federal barriers that inhibit states from maximizing school choice, which may include voucher programs, charter schools, or giving parents the option to choose between public schools.

Early childhood learning is critical for our students' long-term success, and the Head Start program has failed to meet its laudable goals. I will block grant Head Start funds to the states, allowing them to create unique childhood education programs. In Utah, I signed into law an all-day kindergarten program aimed at preparing at-risk children for school, which has been a tremendous success and can serve as a model for other states.

We must reorient the Department of Education, which has grown too large and powerful. Massively scaling down the department, and eventually removing it from Cabinet-rank, will clear the way for necessary education reforms at the local level and free up precious resources. Every dollar saved in the bureaucracy is a dollar that can be invested in our classrooms.

Technorati tags: gop Republican jon huntsman Utah education