Carol Moseley-Braun on Education
More federal funds to rebuild our crumbling schools
Q: What needs to be done to improve elementary education?A: We should empower teachers and parents and local communities to provide quality public education by reforming the system of education finance that relies most heavily on local property taxes.
The national government today contributes less than 7 percent of the cost of elementary and secondary education, and yet continues to dictate education policy without providing the necessary funding. We should increase national funding,
to help local school districts reduce reliance on property taxes. I have proposed that increased national contributions be focused on rebuilding our country's crumbling schools. By supporting school facilities, the national government will help improve
education, while leaving the decision making about content, curriculum, accountability and employment to the local schools, PTA's, parent councils, teachers, administrators, and those closest to the specific needs of a given community.
Source: Concord Monitor / WashingtonPost.com on-line Q&A
Nov 6, 2003
Replace property tax with national payments for schools
Right now the federal government pays for about 6% of the cost of elementary and secondary education. That means that the property tax has to pay for schools. The property-tax base is the worst place to pay for education. It ought to be paid for at the
national level. There ought to be more dollars flowing to the state and local governments, to keep these schools open, to rebuild them, to pay for pensions, to make certain that education becomes the kind of universally available right to children.
Source: AFSCME union debate in Iowa
May 17, 2003
Voted NO on education savings accounts.
This Conference Report approved tax-sheltered education savings accounts.
Status: Conf Rpt Agreed to Y)59; N)36; NV)5
Reference: H.R. 2646 Conference Report;
Bill H.R. 2646
; vote number 1998-169
on Jun 24, 1998
Voted NO on school vouchers in DC.
This legislation would have amended the DC spending measure, imposing an unconstitutional school voucher program on the District.
Status: Cloture Motion Rejected Y)58; N)41; NV)1
Reference: DC Appropriations Act;
Bill S. 1156
; vote number 1997-260
on Sep 30, 1997
Voted NO on $75M for abstinence education.
Vote to retain a provision of the Budget Act that funds abstinence education to help reduce teenage pregnancy, using $75 million of the Maternal and Child Health Block Grant Program.
Bill S 1956
; vote number 1996-231
on Jul 23, 1996
Voted NO on requiring schools to allow voluntary prayer.
Cut off federal funds to school districts that deny students their right to constitutionally protected voluntary prayer.
Bill S.1513
; vote number 1994-236
on Jul 27, 1994