Sam Brownback Speaks on Education

Presidential hopeful Sam Brownback suggested stable family structure, a focus on the hard sciences and following up with measurable goals were the keys moving education forward in America. Speaking at the Candidate Education Forums hosted at the University of Northern Iowa, the Senator from Kansas brought forth these primary issues to college students and responded to questions posed by a panel of all ages.

"Always listen to your mother," Brownback began, addressing an audience of college students.

"When I was an undergrad, I had an afro. My mother didn't like it...if I had only listened to my mother," he said, regreting several embarassing pictures of him posted on the internet.

Brownback said he voted for NCLB because he thinks the act is a step "moving us forward to get measurables on the education system."

"It's hard for the government to figure out how to change something until you figure out how to measure it," he explained. He conceded that the act of 2001 had considerable flaws, one of which is it's inability to give the states flexibility. The A-plus program, which he also supports, resolves such flaws by giving states the flexibility to decide where funding should go.

According to Brownback, rebuilding the family structure is another link toward moving education forward. Children who grown up in two parent families have perform better in school and are less likely to use drugs or commit criminal acts.

"It's in the social data," Brownback repeated in response to a student's question.

Senator Brownback was honest about his political stance, not shying away from partisanship but openly discussing his support for NCLB and rebuilding the family structure.

"I'm a bleeding heart conservative," said Brownback later on.

Senator Brownback compared United States' graduates to those of the world and asserted that the United States is falling behind in graduates of the "hard sciences" such as engineering.