More and more Americans are concerned with our education system. Rightfully so, since our schools face greater challenges today than ever before. It's not just reading, writing and arithmetic, but also HTML, java and linux. Yet, just as we face a surge in student population, our schools are aging beyond their useful life.
Classes meet in trailers, and schools lack the hardware to use and teach the latest technologies.
But we differ dramatically on what to do about it. Some believe the problem is our public school system, and they seek to move to public financing of private and religious schools. I reject this approach as both ineffective and misdirected. In addition to the obvious problem with using taxpayer resources to support religious institutions, these proposals to shift resources to private schools will not improve educational opportunities for most American kids. We need to focus on improving public schools so that all children have access to quality education.