Mitt Romney has been strongly criticized for his lack of policy specifics, and his plan for education is no exception. But the Romney campaign has offered a few details. As host Ed Schultz put it on Tuesday's The Ed Show, "One of his big solutions for education reform is a new one we've been talking about for some 70 years: parental involvement." The rest of his plan is characterized by support for charter schools, vouchers, and deep cuts to public education.
Here's what Romney would do if he were elected president:
- Cut Pell Grants for More than 9 Million Students
- Eliminate Head Start for More Than 2 Million Children
- Cut Nearly $5 Billion for Low Income and Special Needs Students
There's more. “Romney wants to dial it back further and really gut the provisions of [No Child Left Behind]," Drew University education professor Patrick McGuinn told The Christian Science Monitor. Romney also wants to give states money if they abolish or reform teacher tenure.
The Romney plan "would affect the future of education in this country," Schultz said. "Mitt Romney, if you want to draw the line here, really made the case for the 47 percent in education."