Republican Jr Senator; previously Representative (SC-4)
Devolve education to states without abolishing Department
Q: Sharron Angle wants to get rid of the Department of Education, is that a good idea?
DEMINT: I agree that we need to devolve a lot of power out of Washington.
Q; Getting rid of it completely, is that a good idea? No more Department of Education?
DEMINT: I can see a role of looking at best practices around the state. But the fact is pretty clear, since the federal government increased its involvement in the '60s, the quality of our education relative to the rest of the world has declined.
And we spend more per student than any other country in the world. So I've introduced a bill to devolve a lot of power from the federal government back to the states.
Q: But that's not the same as abolishing it. A lot of money comes from the federal
government.
DEMINT: Well, she's very bold to say it. The fact is, education would probably work a lot better without the Department of Education. You can do it in a common-sense, reasonable way that doesn't disrupt any of the activities that we support
Socialists use the perceived victim status of groups to promote a collectivist or group-oriented approach to government, even when government is responsible for the injustice. The contrast between America's social and political philosophies is the most
distinct on this point. Those with socialist leanings generally push for group-oriented, universal, government-directed solutions to societal problems. Those who believe in freedom believe government should facilitate free choices and equal treatment for
all individuals. I'll mention a few examples.
True socialists will jealously guard the universal, government-run education system and fight all attempts to create more choices with competitive, independent schools. That gives the government (and those
who run the government) control over the values and beliefs of every generation. Freedom lovers believe parents should have many choices of schools, and the money spent on public education should follow students to the school of their choice.
NCLB: More spending but no appreciable quality improvement
Before the NCLB legislation came up for a vote in the House, the state flexibility provision was stripped. Bush agreed to drop it in return for Democrat support of the bill. I filed an amendment to add the provision back to the bill. Bush called me to th
Oval Office. I was prepared for attempts to intimidate me into withdrawing my amendment. I wasn't prepared for the president to plead with me to help him avoid a "blood bath" over my amendment. He was afraid that is my amendment passed, the
Democrats would not support the final bill.
The president promised that if I withdrew my amendment, he would make sure the state flexibility provision would be added back at some point. I agreed to withdraw the amendment. The president said "trust me"
when he promised the provision would be added back, but it never happened. The result of NCLB was more federal control of education and a lot more federal spending but no appreciable improvement in the quality of America's government-run education system
Parents are trapped unless they can afford private school
There is no constant effort to change and improve services in government schools and no danger that bad schools will be put out of business by competitors if their services are sub-par. Parents and students have little say about which services are
offered. Unless they can afford a private school, they are stuck with whatever is provided by the school to which they are assigned by the central planners. Most parents are essentially trapped, and despite the best intentions of many school board
members and administrators, most government schools reflect a "you'll take what we give you" mentality.
Pres. Bush thought the requirements to measure programs in No Child Left Behind would improve schools. They didn't. In fact, many teachers tell me
the effort to "teach the test" in order to meet the requirements of NCLB is actually resulting in poor education. We are losing ground to practically every other industrialized country in the world.
1962 banning of school prayer also banned respect and honor
Prior to 1962, states regulated the interaction of church and state. Some states had churches supported with local taxes. For most of America's history, a generally constructive coexistence was in place between religious principles & the operation of
government.
However, in the 1962 "Engel v. Vitale" case, the Supreme Court ruled against a New York school board requiring every class to start each day with a prayer. Unfortunately, the Court did more than ban God and prayer from public schools. It
implicitly banned everything else included in the [daily prayer]: respect and honor for parents, teachers, and country. When the Supreme Court banned the teaching of respect for God, it effectively rejected the traditionalist worldview and replaced it
with a secular-socialist worldview. The "Engel v. Vitale" case began a cascade of court decisions & legislative action at the federal level that have dismantled the "wall of virtue" that has served as the foundation of freedom in America for generations.
Apply faith; education is not government responsibility
Education is not a responsibility that can or should be delegated to the government.
Faith, virtue, and morality are essential elements of the character of individuals. Our government cannot instill these characteristics into our children. American
should, therefore, demand the freedom to teach religious concepts and to apply the values derived from faith. Freedom of speech must include teaching and saying that some things are right and some things are wrong based on religious convictions and commo
sense. We cannot allow our government to promote immoral destructive behavior or to classify religion-based moral opinions as "hate speech."
The development of faith and values begins at home, but parents should be able to send their children to school
that reinforce their worldviews. Churches should consider how they could expand their ministry vision to include education and citizenship training. Faith without applications is meaningless, just as "faith without works is dead" (James 2:26).
A-PLUS Act: step away from federal control via school choice
I am one of the sponsors of the A-PLUS Act, the Academic Partnerships Lead Us to Success Act. It would give states more flexibility to improve their schools without federal interference. This legislation would allow states to operate much like a charter
school operates within a local public school system. Under this legislation states would agree to meet certain standards but have the freedom to reach these standards in their own way. Federal money now divided into multiple program would be block-grante
to states. If states do not meet the standards established in their charter, they have to return to the federal regimen.
The teachers' unions, and most Democrats have consistently opposed this idea. Central control of education is essential to their
goals of central control of our culture. Those who want to decentralize the control of education support the A-PLUS Act as a simple and logical step toward creating a better education system through innovation, competition, and choice.
$5,000 per-student voucher to create private investment
The 2002 Supreme Court decision, "Zelman v. Simmon-Harris" confirmed that states have the right to provide vouchers for students to attend non-government schools. This landmark decision makes a clear distinction between "public education" and "government
schools." Public education does not have to mean government-run, politically managed schools.
The Zelman decision means government and state legislators now have freedom to provide vouchers or tax credits for children to attend any school their parents
choose--government, private, or religious. Considering most states now spend more than $10,000 per year for every child in government schools, even a $5,000 scholarship to independent schools would simulate the development of a wide range of new school
choices.
Vouchers would encourage massive private-sector investments in America's education system. Rather than hurt public education, school choice would increase the number and quality of schools available to the public.
Voted NO on additional $10.2B for federal education & HHS projects.
Vote on the passage of the bill, the American Competitiveness Scholarship Act, the omnibus appropriations bill for the Departments of Departments of Education, Health and Human Services, and Labor. Pres. Bush then vetoed the Bill.
Proponents support voting YES because:
Rep. OBEY: This bill, more than any other, determines how willing we are to make the investment necessary to assure the future strength of this country and its working families. The President has chosen to cut the investments in this bill by more than $7.5 billion in real terms. This bill rejects most of those cuts.
Opponents recommend voting NO because:
Rep. LEWIS: This bill reflects a fundamental difference in opinion on the level of funding necessary to support the Federal Government's role in education, health and workforce programs. The bill is $10.2 billion over the President's budget request. While many of these programs are popular on both sides of the aisle, this bill contains what can
rightly be considered lower priority and duplicative programs. For example, this legislation continues three different programs that deal with violence prevention. An omnibus bill is absolutely the wrong and fiscally reckless approach to completing this year's work. It would negate any semblance of fiscal discipline demonstrated by this body in recent years.
Veto message from President Bush:
This bill spends too much. It exceeds [by $10.2 billion] the reasonable and responsible levels for discretionary spending that I proposed to balance the budget by 2012. This bill continues to fund 56 programs that I proposed to terminate because they are duplicative, narrowly focused, or not producing results. This bill does not sufficiently fund programs that are delivering positive outcomes. This bill has too many earmarks--more than 2,200 earmarks totaling nearly $1 billion. I urge the Congress to send me a fiscally responsible bill that sets priorities.
Reference: American Competitiveness Scholarship Act;
Bill H.R. 3043
; vote number 2007-391
on Oct 23, 2007
Voted NO on $52M for "21st century community learning centers".
To increase appropriations for after-school programs through 21st century community learning centers. Voting YES would increase funding by $51.9 million for after school programs run by the 21st century community learning centers and would decrease funding by $51.9 million for salaries and expenses in the Department of Labor.
Voted NO on $5B for grants to local educational agencies.
To provide an additional $5 billion for title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. Voting YES would provide:
$2.5 billion for targeting grants to local educational agencies
$2.5 billion for education finance incentive grants
Reference: Elementary and Secondary Education Amendment;
Bill S Amdt 2275 to HR 3010
; vote number 2005-269
on Oct 26, 2005
Voted NO on shifting $11B from corporate tax loopholes to education.
Vote to adopt an amendment to the Senate's 2006 Fiscal Year Budget Resolution that would adjust education funding while still reducing the deficit by $5.4 billion. A YES vote would:
Restore education program cuts slated for vocational education, adult education, GEAR UP, and TRIO.
Increase the maximum Pell Grant scholarship to $4,500 immediately.
Increases future math and science teacher student loan forgiveness to $23,000.
Pay for the education funding by closing $10.8 billion in corporate tax loopholes.
Voted YES on allowing school prayer during the War on Terror.
Children's Prayers Resolution: Expressing the sense of Congress that schools should allow children time to pray for, or silently reflect upon, the country during the war against terrorism.
Reference: Bill sponsored by Isakson, R-GA;
Bill H.Con.Res.239
; vote number 2001-445
on Nov 15, 2001
Voted NO on requiring states to test students.
No Child Left Behind Act of 2001: Vote to pass a bill that would authorize $22.8 billion in education funding, a 29 percent increase from fiscal 2001. The bill would require states to test students to track progress.
Reference: Bill sponsored by Boehner R-OH;
Bill HR 1
; vote number 2001-145
on May 23, 2001
Let schools display the words "God Bless America".
DeMint co-sponsored a Congressional Resolution on support for the Nation:
Title: Expressing the sense of the Congress that public schools may display the words "God Bless America" as an expression of support for the Nation.
Source: House Resolution Sponsorship 01-HCR248 on Oct 12, 2001
Supports requiring schools to allow prayer.
DeMint co-sponsored a bill requiring schools to allow voluntary prayer:
H.R.1, S.73:
No DOE funds shall be available to any educational agency which prevents participation in constitutionally protected prayer in public schools by individuals on a voluntary basis. No educational agency shall require any person to participate in prayer or influence the form or content of any constitutionally protected prayer in such public schools.
H.Con.Res.199 (Nov 19, 1999, Bonilla et. al.)
Expressing the sense of the Congress that prayers and invocations at public school sporting events contribute to the moral foundation of our Nation and urging the Supreme Court to uphold their constitutionality.
H.J.RES. 54
Recognizing the authority of public schools to allow students to exercise their constitutional rights by establishing a period of time for silent prayer or meditation or reflection, encouraging the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance, and refusing to discriminate against individuals or groups on account of their religious character or speech.
Proposed Legislation:
H.J.RES. 54, Students' Rights Resolution of 2001, 6/21/2001 (Smith (TX), Rahall, Hall (TX), Hilleary, Barr (GA), Souder, Smith (NJ), Buyer)
S. 73, Voluntary School Prayer Protection Act, 1/22/2001 (Helms)
H.R.1, No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (Boehner, et. al.)
Rated 18% by the NEA, indicating anti-public education votes.
DeMint scores 18% by the NEA on public education issues
The National Education Association has a long, proud history as the nation's leading organization committed to advancing the cause of public education. Founded in 1857 "to elevate the character and advance the interests of the profession of teaching and to promote the cause of popular education in the United States," the NEA has remained constant in its commitment to its original mission as evidenced by the current mission statement:
To fulfill the promise of a democratic society, the National Education Association shall promote the cause of quality public education and advance the profession of education; expand the rights and further the interest of educational employees; and advocate human, civil, and economic rights for all.
In pursuing its mission, the NEA has determined that it will focus the energy and resources of its 2.7 million members toward the "promotion of public confidence in public education."
The ratings are based on the votes the organization considered most important; the numbers reflect the percentage of time the representative voted the organization's preferred position.
DeMint co-sponsored supporting the goals and ideals of Charter Schools
A resolution supporting the goals and ideals of National Charter Schools Week, April 30, 2007, through May 4, 2007.
Whereas charter schools deliver high-quality education and challenge students to reach their potential;
Whereas charter schools provide thousands of families with diverse and innovative educational options for their children;
Whereas charter schools are public schools authorized by designated public entities to respond to the needs of communities, families, and students, and to promote the principles of quality, choice, and innovation;
Whereas, in exchange for the flexibility and autonomy given to charter schools, charter schools are held accountable by their sponsors for improving student achievement and for their finances and other operations;
Whereas 40 States and the District of Columbia have passed laws authorizing charter schools;
Whereas more than 4,000 charter schools operating across the
United States serve more than 1,140,000 students;
Whereas, over the last 13 years, Congress has provided more than $2,026,225,000 in support to the charter school movement;
Whereas the eighth annual National Charter Schools Week, to be held April 30 through May 4, 2007, is an event sponsored by charter schools and grassroots charter school organizations across the United States to recognize the significant impacts, achievements, and innovations of charter schools:
Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Senate acknowledges and commends charter schools and students, parents, teachers, and administrators of charter schools across the United States for their ongoing contributions to education and improving and strengthening the public school system; and supports the goals and ideals of the eighth annual National Charter Schools Week.
Legislative Outcome: Related bills: H.RES.344, H.RES.1168, S.RES.556; agreed to in Senate, by Unanimous Consent.
