Education
Knowledge and wisdom are essential to life. “Keep hold of instruction; do not let go; guard her, for she is your life” (Proverbs 4:13). If something is that highly regarded in the Bible, we should also value it. The education system in the United States is challenged with inequity and poor performance. “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you from being a priest to me” (Hosea 4:6). As Christians who see our nation’s need and understand its consequences, we should weigh this issue heavily.
Related Scriptures: Deuteronomy 11:19; Psalm 32:8-9; Proverbs 1:1-33, 4:1, 4:13, 9:9-10, 10:14, 16:3, 18:15, 23:12; Ecclesiastes 7:12, 12:9-12; Daniel 1:17; Hosea 4:6; Romans 12:2; James 1:5; 2 Peter 1:5; 1 John 3:17
Bush: Bush opposes federal interference in educational standards. He proposes more strenuous standards at local levels, increased competition between schools, and the discontinuation of “social promotions” between grades (which promote students to a higher grade, despite poor performance). He also strongly opposes teachers’ unions and believes they must be dismantled. While he views Common Core as a way to improve education, he believes that there should be no federal incentive to use it and that local governments should manage its implementation. In Florida, during his time as governor, low-income children made the largest gains in the nation. Grade: A
Carson: While Carson supports higher standards for academic performance, he opposes federal involvement through Common Core. Instead, he believes that parents, teachers, and local school leaders (who have children’s best interests at heart) should build rigorous curriculums. He also supports using voucher systems, charter schools, and private schools to improve education through competition. At the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in February 2015 he said, “I'm ready for school choice. We need to recognize [that] education is the great liberator in our country. No one has to be a victim.” This idea has spurred his strong support for educational improvements. He has additionally noted that our nation’s government was established for a well-informed and educated population; the education system is essential to effective citizenship. Grade: A+
Cruz: Cruz vehemently opposes federal involvement (via Common Core) in education and supports competition as a way to improve school performance. He believes that these measures would allow every child — regardless of race, wealth, or location — to have a quality education. Cruz supports the Local Control of Education Act, which offers states a way out of Common Core standards without losing federal grant money. Grade: B
Fiorina: In the past, Fiorina has advocated for metric-based accountability in schools. She also supported No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top because she believed they established competitive achievement goals. She believes that improving education through local control would help close the achievement gap. She also supports competition between schools as a viable means for improving the education system. Grade: B
Rubio: Rubio strongly supports curriculum reform and believes our education system is in dire need of improvements. However, he agrees with other candidates that those changes must happen at the local level, where parents have the most influence. He has also warned against Common Core, noting that what is currently a “suggestion” is likely to become a federal mandate. He supports increased school competition through parental choice. Unlike other candidates, Rubio has also focused on higher education. He wants to improve public school vocational training programs, which offer cost-effective access to millions of jobs. He has also criticized the higher education system as being “outdated” and “expensive.” He further proposes educating students about the costs and benefits of taking out student loans. Grade: A+ 
