Education policy is best administered at the local level. As citizens, we elect local school board members to oversee the administration of our schools, but unfortunately, every year our boards, administrators, and teachers have less authority. State and federal mandates make our public education system more expensive than it should be and take the focus off of students. The Common Core State Standards are just one recent example of state and federal intrusion into local schooling decisions.

Successful education begins with the family and I believe parents should be empowered to choose the educational direction they feel is best for their children. I support increased choice and competition in our schools because this will allow them to reform naturally, producing better educational outcomes and increasing parental satisfaction.

I will work to reduce mandates and to empower parents and our local schools because they -- not government bureaucrats -- are best-equipped to make decisions about local education.