Student-Focused Education Reforms
Past education reforms have tightened the grip of union bosses and bureaucrats instead of preparing students to compete in a global economy. Paul’s student-focused education reforms prioritize spending so teachers, kids and classrooms have the resources for success, and will create new affordable education options for all Maine students.
While Paul is Governor, he will:
- Fully Fund Teachers, Kids and Classrooms First. Our education dollars should be used to advance learning, not to fund a bloated education bureaucracy. Paul will prioritize our limited education dollars so students and teachers have the resources they need to achieve success inside and outside the classroom.
- Increase Students’ Learning Opportunities. Paul values choice, especially in education. As Governor, he will work for a voucher system that allows students and their parents to pick the school that works best for them. Paul will also fight for charter schools so students have an alternative to public education.
- Respect Local Control of Education. Parents and locally elected school board members should have decision-making power over their students’ curriculum. Instead of top-down mandates from Augusta, Paul will empower local officials to develop responsible education plans.
- Tie Teacher Pay to Student Performance. The best indicator of a teacher’s ability is the success of the students in the classroom. If students excel, their teacher should be recognized and rewarded. If students consistently fail to improve, their teacher should not benefit from that failure with automatic pay increases based on longevity.
