Joe Walsh on Education Republican presidential primary challenger (former IL Rep.)

Market-based solutions to education reform and urban poverty

On education:
• Walsh's congressional website said he advocated for "market-based solutions to education reform and urban poverty."
• He also ran the Daniel Murphy Scholarship Fund, a privately-funded program that gave scholarships to low-income students to help them attend private high schools.
• He raised money for the American Education Reform Council and the Milton and Rose Friedman Foundation, both of which advocate for school choice.
• Walsh is staunchly opposed to Common Core.

Vouchers force competition & provide better education

I firmly believe in school choice and believe that every child should have the choice of attending any school for which he/she qualifies academically. In areas where kids are given vouchers to attend private schools, the kids who get the vouchers get a better education and increased competition forces the public schools to provide a better education also. It is a win-win situation for all involved.

Eliminate teacher tenure & favor teacher accountability

A: I favor accountability for teachers. I favor eliminating teacher tenure and implementing performance pay for teachers. For too long, teachers' unions have managed to get higher pay for teachers, completely divorced from their performance. Our schools should work for our children, not the unions.

Voted YES on reauthorizing the DC opportunity scholarship program.

1. receiving assistance under the supplemental nutrition assistance program; or
2. with incomes not exceeding 185% of the poverty line.

1. the DC public schools to improve public education, and
2. the DC public charter schools to improve and expand quality public charter schools.

Proponent's Argument for voting Yes:
[Rep. Bishop, R-UT]: In 1996, Congress insisted upon a charter school program in DC. You will hear from both sides of the aisle recognition of the great value that that program has, and justifiably so. There is a waiting list in DC for those charter schools. This bill increases the percentage of funding going to charter schools in the District. In 2003, an Opportunity Scholarship was instituted, at the insistence of Congress. Again, there was a waiting list of people wanting the opportunity; disadvantaged kids who wanted the opportunity that this scholarship afforded them. There were 216 kids at the time scheduled to enter the program who were not allowed; the bill remedies that.

Opponent's Argument for voting No:
[Rep. Hastings, D-FL]: In the last 41 years voters have rejected private school vouchers every time they have been proposed. In 1981, 89% of the people in a referendum in DC voted against vouchers. So how dare we come here to tell these people that we are going to thrust upon them something they don't want without a single public official in this community being consulted. Congress' oversight of the District is not an excuse for political pandering to the Republicans' special interest of the day du jour.