Paul Van Dam on Education

Reward schools for what they do right

I voted against No Child Left Behind, Bennett said. "It's too heavy handed, and we're working to get more flexibility into the program."

Van Dam said the federal government should reward schools for what they do right instead of setting them up for failure.

Source: [Xref Bennett] UT Senate Debate, in Deseret Morning News Oct 14, 2004

Right to a public education

Probably the most important right we have in our country is the right to a public education. Every child should be educated to be a productive member of society. The No Child Left Behind law is a noble effort, but it must be fully funded, standards need to be unified throughout the country, training and further education must be available to teachers and rural schools must be given flexibility. Schools need to be accountable, but evaluated on a fair basis. Source: Campaign website, vandamussenate.com, "Positions" Aug 18, 2004

Higher pay, smaller class, more parental options

I support further efforts to reduce class size in the early grades, making teacher salaries and support competitive with other professions and giving parents more options when it comes to the education of their children. Source: Campaign website, vandamussenate.com, "Positions" Aug 18, 2004

I support an increase in charter schools

The development of more charter schools across our country has become a reality. I support an increase in charter schools provided that better accountability standards are established that assure that students in these schools receive the proper core education. Public school officials need to be involved in the design, structure and governance of charter schools to assure students are taught basic instruction. In addition, I support home school programs that serve as a valuable alternative. Source: Campaign website, vandamussenate.com, "Issues" Aug 18, 2004

Privatizing our schools doesn't improved student achievement

We need to be very careful about the spreading trend to privatize our public schools. There is no research that shows that privatizing our schools has improved student achievement. There is the potential that taxpayers can lose control over the public school system if more and more administrative, teaching and support services are run by private companies. Source: Campaign website, vandamussenate.com, "Issues" Aug 18, 2004

Give teachers the support and salaries they deserve

The No Child Left Behind law is a noble effort, but it must be fully funded, standards need to be unified throughout the country, training and further education must be available to teachers and rural schools must be given flexibility. Schools need to be accountable, but evaluated on a fair basis. I support further efforts to reduce class size in the early grades, making teacher salaries and competitive. Source: Campaign website, vandamussenate.com Jul 20, 2004

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