Putting our children first

When it comes to educating the nation's children, Americans ought to demand nothing short of the best from schools. Yet too often, those same schools tragically fall short of meeting the needs of students. As Americans elect the next president, we should select the candidate with a vision for reform. Sen. John McCain has that vision. His plan to reform education not only rejects special interests, but more importantly puts the needs of the nation's parents and students first.

McCain seeks to ensure every child has the ability to achieve his or her potential with a strong classroom leader. Thus, he believes that an important step toward curing our nation's education woes is improving the quality of teaching. To accomplish this, McCain believes we should: (1) provide financial incentives to star teachers who relocate to underperforming schools, (2) increase funding for professional teacher development and (3) encourage states to recruit from the top of graduating university classes or participants in programs like Teach for America.

But fixing the teacher crisis is not enough. There will still be schools that do not measure up to standards. To reform schools that continue to perform at sub-par levels, McCain wants to institute choice into the school assignment system to foster competition and to allow talented students to enjoy the opportunities they deserve. Additionally, in situations where parents feel better able to educate their children themselves, they should have the right to choose home schooling.

Finally, to educate our children properly, there must be access to special learning opportunities. McCain strongly supports providing tutoring services to struggling schools, both in-person and online. In addition, he believes in the importance of enhancing digital learning. To accomplish this goal, he will provide grants to develop online course offerings and expand the ability for students to take Advanced Placement examinations with the proper instruction through online AP courses.

This broad-based reform would accomplish several important goals: (1) giving parents the opportunity to make the choices most appropriate for their children; (2) providing teachers who are better trained, better funded and better equipped to instruct students and (3) bestowing upon students the tools and personalized attention necessary to succeed after school. Given the importance of school reform for this election, McCain's proposals are a reflection of his commitment to reform and above all, his dedication to putting this nation's parents and students first.

Samuel Tasher is a Trinity senior. He is the executive director of the Duke College Republicans and the chair of the N.C. Federation of College Republicans.