At a House Education & Workforce Committee hearing last week, Rep. Lisa McClain (R-MI) questioned Education Sec. Linda McMahon about education policy.
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00:00I now recognize the gentlelady from Michigan, Ms. McLean.
00:07Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you, Madam Secretary, for being here.
00:12And thank you so much for your leadership in our joint efforts to downsize the Department of Education.
00:18Like you and the President, I believe education policy is best determined by states and local communities, along with parents.
00:28Obviously, the closer you are to the students, the more interactive and the more hands-on experience you really have.
00:36We have this to deliver the best outcomes for the students.
00:40I think that is our goal, is to make sure we're delivering the best outcomes to the students.
00:46To that aim, we have seen states' teachers' unions and other bulldoze parents' rights
00:54in a pursuit of indoctrination over education.
00:59And I think that's what you were alluding to earlier, is we'll teach any subject as long as we can correct the truth
01:06with the other half of the truth, and we can teach both sides, which seems what education used to be.
01:12We used to teach, and I'm wondering if you agree with me on this, we used to teach children how to think,
01:18as opposed to what to think. Would that be an accurate assessment?
01:22I think we do need to get back to teaching children more how to think.
01:27Amen.
01:28So as we return power to local communities, I'm trying to figure out how can the federal government
01:35fulfill its role in protecting students and the parents' rights?
01:42How do you see the federal government, and how can we help ensure that we're protecting students
01:49and the people that get lost sometimes, the parents? How do we do that?
01:54Well, certainly returning education back to the states, back to more local control.
02:00But really what that means, and what the president has said to me, is that he would like to take the bureaucracy out of education.
02:07You know, the Department of Education does not establish curriculum in a state.
02:14It doesn't hire teachers. It doesn't say what books to buy. It doesn't do any of those things.
02:19It is a great pass-through of funding that is appropriated by Congress through Title I, IDEA.
02:25Both of those are staying totally intact. But there are competitive grants that are then reviewed by the Department of Education.
02:32And so those competitive grants do go to states. And so what we want to do is to make more money available to go directly to the states.
02:40When you consider the fact that of every dollar that goes to a state, a teacher is spending about 47 cents of that dollar in regulatory compliance.
02:52But if we can get rid of a lot of the red tape that goes along with those grants and those requirements,
02:58then there's more money for the states to put forth the programs that they would like to put forth.
03:03And that's clearly one of the president's goals.
03:07I don't want to put words in your mouth, but I want to make sure that I understand you correctly.
03:11So what you're saying is if we took that dollar that right now is earmarked,
03:16and 47 cents of that dollar is going for compliance issues, regulatory issues, right,
03:24you're saying we would actually have more of that dollar to give to the actual student?
03:30Certainly the goal.
03:31Wow.
03:32What a concept.
03:33Who could not be for that?
03:35I just don't understand.
03:37If our goal is truly to educate the student, who would not be for giving more money to the student?
03:46Not only giving more money to the students, but to make sure that parental rights are protected,
03:51that parents have more say-so in the curriculum that their students are being taught,
03:56that they understand what is going on in the classroom,
04:00and I urge parents to take a more active role in their students' education.
04:05I think that teaching is one of the most noble professions in our country,
04:09but they do need support.
04:11They need support at home, and I think parents can, and many parents are so involved,
04:16but I urge parents to become more involved in school board elections,
04:21and just attending those meetings that impact their children.
04:25So it's actually a good thing when parents show up at school board meetings,
04:29and it's really a good thing when parents are involved.
04:32They're not terrorists or whatnot.
04:34That's a good thing.
04:35We actually want parents involved in the student's education.
04:38Absolutely.
04:39To that end, I know parents have the right to opt out of specific lesson plans for their child,
04:46if it goes against their specific religious belief or whatnot,
04:50but I believe at times it's difficult for the parent to get that done.
04:55What do you see moving forward to make it easier for parents to opt their child out of something
05:02that they don't want them involved in?
05:06How do you see that happening?
05:08Well, there again, that's really part of the local education system,
05:11and the Department of Education does not have jurisdiction or control over that.
05:15I would just urge parents, though, independently,
05:18to continue to approach their school boards, their individual schools,
05:22the teachers, and the superintendents to make their voices heard.
05:26And with that, my time has expired.
05:28Thank you all for all of your work to getting actual more dollars
05:31to where it should go to the actual students.
05:34I thank the gentlelady.