By John R. Carter

As we all know, Texans know how to educate Texans best. I’m fed up with the so called ‘knows-best’ approach that has plagued K-12 classrooms for years. 

We need to reduce the federal role in education.  Parents, teachers, and principals should have maximum control over classrooms. Washington bureaucrats must not be allowed to dictate this critical element of our children’s lives.

Taking an active part in our children’s and grandchildren’s education will directly affect their future.  It is high time we empower communities to fix our broken education system.  Our children are too important to stand idly by and watch their education be diluted by what I believe is the Obama administration’s overreach into our nation’s classrooms.

Central Texans know their children have been bogged down with too many tests, teachers are bogged down with too much paper work, and local districts are being strapped by too many federal regulations. Let’s get back to the job of educating our children, not teaching to a test!

I proudly supported the Student Success Act, when it passed the House in July 2015. This bill is full of conservative reforms that restore local control and empower parents and education leaders to hold local schools accountable, returning responsibility for measuring student success to the states and local school districts. 

The Student Success Act protects state and local autonomy over decisions in the classroom. This important legislation prevents the Secretary of Education from coercing states into adopting Common Core or any other widespread standards or assessments, as well as reining in the Secretary’s regulatory authority.  Additionally, this bill empowers parents with more school choice options by continuing support for magnet schools and expanding charter school opportunities.

In Texas, we know our students are successful. In Texas district 31 alone we have six school districts ranked in the top 100, out of 8,738 public school districts. Those not in the top 100 districts are not far behind, and are gaining ground every day.

Success in Texas is not based on relying on Washington, D.C. Quite the opposite. Central Texas has succeeded despite intervention from the Federal government.

Our children are the most important investment we will ever make. For too long, Washington’s priorities have outweighed what parents, teachers, and local leaders know is best for their children. This is the wrong approach and I’m proud to keep fighting for what’s right for Texas.

I am dedicated to keeping Washington, D.C. out of Texas schools and to let Texas run Texas.  The future of our children is at stake.

John R. Carter is a Republican and represents Texas District 31 in the U.S. House of Representatives, which includes Fort Hood, the largest military installation in the free world. He serves as Chairman of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Appropriations, is on the Subcommittee for Commerce, Justice and Science and the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee. 

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