Thomas Jefferson is best remembered as the man who wrote the Declaration of Independence. He also served as third President of the United States, the second Vice President of the United States, the first Secretary of State and the Governor of Virginia. He knew a thing or two about how government works.

 

Jefferson said, “that government is best which governs the least.” Washington sometimes thinks it knows better than the people outside the Capitol. I couldn’t disagree more.

 

That’s why I believe in local control for our schools. I’ve always believed that local educators and parents know their schools better than bureaucrats in Washington D.C. Missouri educators set their own achievement goals. In fact, they choose to make their test one of the toughest in the nation.

 

In 2002, I authored the amendment to No Child Left Behind that made spending 95 cents out of every dollar in the classroom rather than on bureaucracy our goal. Children are educated by teachers in classrooms, not by bureaucrats in office buildings. We need to give parents and educators the flexibility they need to make the best decisions for their students.

 

The law isn’t perfect and I want to work with parents and educators to make it better. I believe in accountability, but I also believe in flexibility. We have many good schools in the Sixth Congressional District because we have educators and parents who know what’s best for their students. I want to make sure that Washington red tape doesn’t get in their way.

 

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