George Allen on Education Republican Senate Challenger

Froze college tuition while governor

Lower student loan rates; freeze tuition rates

Student loans have quickly become a hot button issue for candidates nationally and here in the Commonwealth. At Saturday's Republican Senate Debate in Roanoke candidates Bob Marshall, E.W. Jackson, and Jamie Radtke all came out forcefully saying the federal government should be out of the student loan business. "When you have the federal government giving loans it does artificially inflate prices and tuitions for schools," Radtke said.

George Allen was quiet on the issue saying only he wants to freeze tuition costs and make college more affordable.

School choice & vouchers, over one-size-fits-all

Governor Allen has been a proponent and remains very supportive of School Choice Initiatives such as in the District of Columbia, where the federal Government has purview. School Choice has shown very positive results in both the quality and cost of education, especially in urban areas.

If elected to the US Senate, George Allen will again be an advocate for School Choice/Vouchers for parents and schoolchildren in the District of Columbia and other areas where the federal Government has educational jurisdiction.

George Allen will continue to support flexibility for the States to have school choice or charter schools as the people in that State deem best.

Supports parents choosing schools via vouchers

Allen AGREES with the following statements:
• Allow parents to use tax-free savings accounts to send their children to any publicly-funded school, or any participating school: public, private or religious.
• Support charter schools where teachers and professionals receive authorization and funding to establish new schools.
• Promote education flexibility by giving federal funds, in the form of block grants, to the states to spend it as they see fit.

Testing has brought accountability

Voted NO on $52M for "21st century community learning centers".

Voted NO on $5B for grants to local educational agencies.

• $2.5 billion for targeting grants to local educational agencies
• $2.5 billion for education finance incentive grants

Voted NO on shifting $11B from corporate tax loopholes to education.

• 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 NO on funding smaller classes instead of private tutors.

Voted NO on funding student testing instead of private tutors.

Voted NO on spending $448B of tax cut on education & debt reduction.

Rated 27% by the NEA, indicating anti-public education votes.

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.