Sarah Palin on Education? Where does she stand on the critical
issue of education? Read these quotes and comments to find out more.
More
quotes from Sarah Palin on education below
Creationism
can be taught alongside evolution -
"I don't think there should be a prohibition
against debate if it comes
up in class. It doesn't have to be part of the curriculum."
"I won't have religion as a litmus test, or
anybody's personal opinion on evolution or creationism."
Teach both. You know, don't be afraid of
information. Healthy debate is
so important, and it's so valuable in our schools. I am a proponent of
teaching both. And you know, I say this too as a
daughter of a science teacher." - Anchorage
Daily News, 'Creation Science' enters the race - October 27, 2006
Teach
ethics and character - "I believe we need to respect
families and provide greater
access to curricula and programs that teach ethics and character. The
ABC method is a local program that depends strongly on these
principles. ABC students have nightly homework, back to basics
curriculum, patriotism, ethics and citizenship training. Programs such
as ABC have core principles of trustworthiness, respect,
responsibility, fairness, caring, and good citizenship." - Palin-Parnell campaign booklet:
New Energy for Alaska - November 3, 2006
Parental
choice in education - "Sarah
supports parental choice so that parents can choose what is best for
their children -- vocational training, a public school, charter school,
private school or home schooling." - Palin-Parnell campaign booklet:
New Energy for Alaska
Nov 3, 2006
Comments
about "No Child Left Behind" - "Congratulations to the
staff at the 294 Alaska public
schools that made adequate yearly progress under the federal No Child
Left Behind (NCLB) standards for the 2007-2008 school year. Our schools
faced a higher bar in 2007-2008 for the percentages of
students who score proficient in language arts and math assessments.
Congratulations to the many schools that continue to improve in student
achievement but may have fallen short in 1 or 2 of the 31 categories
schools are held accountable for in NCLB." - Alaska Governor's Office: August
2008 Newsletter
- August 20, 2008
More from
Sarah Palin on education
Focus
debate on accountability and achievement - "In education,
we are shaping a three-year funding plan to
finally shift the school debate from perpetual "money talk" to
accountability and achievement!
We are focusing on foundational skills needed in the "real-world"
workplace and in college." - State
of the State Address to the 25th Alaska Legislature
- January 15, 2008
Supporting
alternative education - "My administration will support
existing programs that
already offer alternative school options available throughout the
state, including charter schools, rural boarding schools, home school
options, correspondence schools, and vocational/technical
and magnet schools. There are many successes out there that we can look
to as models. My administration will support and expand existing
programs that successfully offer new approaches to ensure an
appropriate education for every child in Alaska." - Palin-Parnell campaign booklet:
New Energy for Alaska
- November 3, 2006
Allowing
parents to opt out of offensive material -
Question: Will you support the right of
parents to opt out their
children from curricula, books, classes, or surveys, which parents
consider privacy-invading or offensive to their religion or conscience?
Answer: Yes. Parents should have the ultimate
control over what their children are taught. - Eagle Forum 2006 Gubernatorial
Candidate Questionnaire
- July 31, 2006
Parents
know what's best -
Question: Do you support parental choice in
the spending of state educational dollars?
Answer: Within Alaska law, I support parents
deciding what is the best education venue for their child.
Question: Will you support efforts to raise
or lower the mandatory age of education? Why or why not?
Answer: No, again, parents know better than
government what is best for their children. - Eagle Forum 2006 Gubernatorial
Candidate Questionnaire
- July 31, 2006
Education
is essential, adequate funding - "It is our energy
development that pays for essential
services, like education. Victor Hugo said, "He who opens a school
door, closes a prison." It's a privileged obligation we have to "open
education doors."
Every child, of every ability, is to be cherished and loved and taught.
Every child provides this world hope. They are the most beautiful
ingredient in our sometimes muddied up world. I am committed to our
children and their education.
Stepping through "the door" is about more than passing a standardized
test. We need kids prepared to pass life's tests--like getting a job
and valuing a strong work ethic. Our Three-year Education
Plan invests more than a billion dollars each year. We must
forward-fund education, letting schools plan ahead. We must stop
pink-slipping teachers, and then struggle to recruit and retain them
the next year." - State
of the State Address to the 25th Alaska Legislature - January 15, 2008
Forward
fund education - "I support adequate and full funding for
education, as
well as for pupil transportation and municipal school debt
reimbursements. There must be recognition for increases in costs for
energy, utilities, insurance, and salaries. We cannot go back to the
day
of simply ignoring inflation. A centerpiece of my fiscal plan is to
forward fund K-12. School districts will be able to do a better job of
planning their budgets for upcoming years if they know in advance the
level of funding they can expect from Juneau." - Palin-Parnell campaign booklet:
New Energy for Alaska
- November 3, 2006
More
from Sarah Palin on education
Cooperation
of parents, schools, teachers, business - "Alignment is
the unity of purpose which brings parents,
children, teachers, public administration and businesses together
towards a common goal of quality education. Alignment towards the
common goal is built upon the values of respect for one another,
our unique cultures and traditions, and our individual personal values.
Here is how Alignment fits together:
Parents understand the importance of their
involvement with and their responsibility for their child's education.
Children attend class ready to learn.
Teachers are allowed to teach without
distraction.
Administrations sustain an environment where
performance and options are valued.
Business will help define the outcomes needed
for employment.
Parents are the first educators.
Teachers are responsible for providing a rich
classroom environment.
Administration is responsible to their
community for costs, safety, and choice." - Palin-Parnell campaign booklet:
New Energy for Alaska
Nov 3, 2006
On funding
education - "We will enable schools to finally focus on
innovation and
accountability to see superior results. We're asking lawmakers to pass
a new K-12 funding plan early this year. This is a significant
investment that is needed to increase the base student allocation,
district cost factors and intensive needs students. It includes $100
million in school construction and deferred maintenance. There is
awesome potential to improve education, respect good teachers, and
embrace choice for parents. This potential will prime Alaska to compete
in a global economy that is so competitive it will blow us away if we
are not prepared. Beyond high school, we will boost job training and
University options. We are proposing more than $10 million in new
funding for apprenticeship programs, expansion of construction,
engineering and health care degrees to meet demands. But it must be
about more than funds, it must be a change in philosophy. It is time to
shift focus, from just dollars and cents to “caliyulriit,” which is
Yupik for “people who want to work.” Work for pride in supporting our
families, in and out of the home. Work for purpose and for action, and
ultimately destiny fulfilled by being fruitful. It's about results and
getting kids excited about their future – whether it is college, trade
school or military." - State
of the State Address to 25th Alaska Legislature - January 15, 2008
Aid for
students with special needs - "We have no needs-based aid
for Alaska students. Governor
Murkowski tried to put $20 million in the budget for aid, but the
Legislature rejected it. Let's make our own University available to
students who might otherwise go without higher education." - Palin-Parnell campaign booklet:
New Energy for Alaska
- November 3, 2006
Early
education for at-risk children - "The State should target
early education programs to
specific at-risk groups that truly need them. These groups will benefit
from access to high-quality programs currently out of their reach. We
must find a way for these children to obtain a safe and
positive environment in their early years. Today, social &
economic
pressures sometimes encourage both parents to return to work outside
the home. My administration will publish useful educational material
for parents about children in their early years." - Palin-Parnell campaign booklet:
New Energy for Alaska
- November 3, 2006
Faith
based homeschooling - "I
support and respect the rights of independent homeschoolers and those
who partner with local and state-wide school districts.
There must be equity in treatment of all homeschoolers in all programs
across the state. The use of privately-purchased, faith-based materials
should not be a reason for withholding funding." - Palin-Parnell campaign booklet:
New Energy for Alaska
Nov 3, 2006
