Great Questions to Ask Political Candidates From Your PTA
The countdown to the election has begun and the Wall Street crisis continues to dominate the political conversation. What about the education of our future work force? How can you tell which candidates will REALLY support our kids? The National PTA has circulated an excellent set of questions for ALL candidates at all levels of government. Your City Legislative Action Committee (which is now named Education Advocacy Committee) asks you to please take a moment to read them, share them, and if you get a chance, ASK OUR CANDIDATES where they stand. Continue reading to see the questions.
PTA Votes: Questions for Candidates
• What are your top priorities for improving public education?
• What education policy changes are you proposing?
• What proposals, if any, do you offer for public programs to support underserved
children?
Accountability for Public Schools
Elected officials at every level have some say in how schools are run and who is
held responsible for student achievement. Strong education candidates understand
the role their offices play in public education and should be able to articulate what
they will do to improve school quality.
• Who do you think should be responsible for ensuring that public schools operate
effectively and children achieve?
• What do you believe are the best ways to evaluate school and student
performance?
• What do you believe are the best ways to evaluate teacher quality?
• What is your response to the large number of schools that are failing to meet the
high standards set out in the No Child Left Behind Act?
Public School Funding
Most candidates for office support improvements to ensure quality public
education, but their proposals for how to pay for public education vary widely. A
strong education candidate should have developed a viable plan for school funding.
• What are your views on how much is spent on public education and whether
this amount is adequate?
• What changes, if any, would you make to the existing education funding
structure?
• What is your position on pending court cases that challenge inadequate state and
federal funding for education?
• What programs and areas do you consider most vital and deserving of the highest
protection from budget cuts?
• Do you have any tax proposals to offer for public school funding?
• Do you believe the amount spent for special needs and limited English proficient
students is adequate? What changes, if any, would you make to support these
students?
Other Key PTA Issues
• What is your position on bilingual education?
• What is your stance on using public funds to provide vouchers for students to
attend private or religious schools?