Herman Cain strongly supports decentralization of education from large programs such as No Child Left Behind and large bureaucracies to more local and state control. He has stated that under a Cain administration, the Department of Education would be much weaker and control would be pushed down to the states and to the local level.
As part of his education plan, Mr Cain advocates "unbundling" education from federal funding and opposes unfunded mandates such as No Child Left Behind. To address the problem, he would end the programs or remove restrictions tying funding to requirements in those programs.This would give states more opportunity to decide how they want to use their money and let the people closest to the problems decide on the solution.
Herman Cain also supports merit pay for teachers who have good results, and more evaluation of teachers who have lower performing results. He also supports greater school choice for students, vouchers, and charter schools.
Nevada News and Views
In May of 2011, Herman Cain was interviewed by the Nevada News and Views and asked about his educational policies as President. He states that he opposes unfunded mandates, and that states should be given more ability to use funds.
Reporter: What do you do about education policy as president? How are you going to influence direction of education policy at the federal level? For example, No Child Left Behind.
Cain: Push it all down to the local level and unbundle education. What does that mean? Cut or end all programs that contain unfunded mandates. No Child Left Behind is one of those programs that has unfunded mandates. We remove the unfunded mandates and give the states the opportunity to decide how they want to use those dollars, or we end the program. Let the people closest to the problems decide on the solution.
Daily Caller Interview
On April 27, 2011 Herman Cain was interviewed by the Daily Caller and was asked about the department of education and his plans for education overall. He states that
Long term, the amount of money coming from the federal government relative to education going to the states would gradually decrease over time such that the states would be responsible, starting at the local level, for developing better education in their states. (The Department of Education) would be dramatically smaller.
(Unfunded mandates) cripple the states from doing what they deem best.
I’m a big believer in ‘take the problem closest to where the problem is,’ and you’ll find a better solution. Good education, in my view, starts at home and at the local level and it works its way up, not the other way around.
Las Vegas Sun Interview
On May 6, 2011 Herman Cain was interviewed by the Las Vegas Sun. When asked about education, he again pointed to more local control.
What changes will you make to education policy if you are elected?
I believe any education money we can afford to give states should be block granted. Secondly, I want to unbundle the Education Department in Washington, D.C. Cut or end all programs that contain unfunded mandates. No Child Left Behind is one of those programs. We should let the states decide how they want to use dollars. Most states will probably say, ‘We’ll take a haircut on the funds we receive, if we can decide how to use them.’ Washington cannot micromanage anything, which is why programs fail.
Iowa Debate
In August of 2011, Herman Cain participated in the Republican debate in Ames, Iowa. He was asked about No Child Left Behind and stated that he did not support the program.
BAIER: Mr. Cain, let me just ask you the education question. If you were president, would you return to the full enforcement of the No Child Left Behind law?
CAIN: No. I believe in education starting at the local. No Child Left Behind had some faults. I don't believe in unfunded mandates. I believe that the federal government should be out of the business of trying to micromanage the education of our children. (APPLAUSE)
Fox News / Google Debate
On September 22, 2011 Herman Cain participated in the Fox News / Google debate. He advocates for removing the control of education from the federal government.
BAIER: Mr. Cain?
CAIN: A lot of good ideas, I won't repeat them.
All of the programs at the federal level where there's strings attached, cut all the strings. We have got to encourage parents to take advantage of choices, but provide those choices and we must find ways to empower the students. This is how we are going to improve education, but primarily get the federal government out of trying to educate our kids at the local level.
2012 Presidential Campaign Website Statements
Chapter Ten: Unbundle Education
Education is the key to unlocking a prosperous future. At the heart of education should always be the students. Unfortunately, education has become weighed down with administration that has shifted the focus from educating students to maintaining an excessive level of bureaucracy through expanded unionization and regulation. It’s time to unbundle education from the federal government down to the local level.
Of course, most teachers are in the field of education to foster intellectual development for eager minds. Through a system of accountability, we should reward those teachers whose students excel and better evaluate those whose students perform poorly. Performance incentives work in business, and they will work in education, too.
A critical component of improving education in our country is to decentralize the federal government’s control over it. Children are best served when the teachers, parents and principals are making the day-to-day decisions, coupled with the leadership of local municipalities, school boards and states. What might work for a third grader in Oklahoma might not work for a third grader in Hawaii.
Another way we can put kids first is to offer school choice as a real option for educational competition. This means expanding school vouchers and charter schools. Such measures have proven time and time again to best serve the students, many of whom do not have the economic means of attending better schools. In a post-Katrina New Orleans, these programs were immensely popular with both the parents and the students, giving opportunities to children who might otherwise have been stuck in poor-performing, if not failing, schools.
Unbundling education means putting kids first. It means rewarding those teachers who enrich the lives of their students, and it means holding those accountable who do not. It means putting students before union interests, and it means keeping their development paramount. Unbundling education means localizing education- making those on the ground responsible for the teaching and learning that happens in our local communities. Unbundling education means offering parents choices for their children to create a truly competitive educational system.
References
[1]Website: Nevada News and Views Article: One-On-One With Herman CainAuthor: Lori Piotrowski Accessed on: 05/25/2011
