Educational Policies of Rick Santorum

Rick Santorum, a former US Senator is running for the presidency in 2012.  After reading a quote he made about education, I sent him the following e mail via townhall.com and his Presidential Campaign FaceBook Page.  Ironically, there is no link to contact him on his official Campaign Website.

Dear Senator Santorum,

In this article (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/05/rick-santorum-iowa-2012_n_919266.html), you were quoted as saying that our “schools indoctrinate our children.”  You went on to say that surveys show that students find socialism to be better than capitalism, and the ultimate reason is that is because “they don’t understand America.”

From this website (http://www.ontheissues.org/senate/rick_santorum.htm#Education) , I found your voting record while you were in the US Senate of the votes pertaining to education. From that website, I have selected just a few issues from 2001-2005:

            *You Voted NO on $52M for "21st century community learning centers". (Oct                                     2005)

            *You Voted NO on $5B for grants to local educational agencies. (Oct 2005)

            *You Voted NO on shifting $11B from corporate tax loopholes to education. (Mar                                     2005)

            *You Voted NO on funding smaller classes instead of private tutors. (May 2001)

            *You Voted NO on funding student testing instead of private tutors. (May 2001)

            *You Voted NO on spending $448B of tax cut on education & debt reduction. (Apr                                     2001)

If this account of your voting is inaccurate, I would appreciate a correction.

Senator Santorum, I have to agree with you that our schools DO, in fact, indoctrinate our nation’s children.  But, that indoctrination does not stem from a fundamental flaw with public education, nor does it stem from inadequate teachers (I will grant you that there are inadequate teachers, but that is not our immediate problem).

As for my background, I have been a public school teacher for 10 years.  During those years, I taught mainly in high-poverty communities with few exceptions.  I hold a BA in Music Education, an M.Ed. in Educational Administration, and I am working on my M.Div. degree in Pastoral Ministry.  I am proud to be serving as the pastor of a church, and I am even more proud to be the husband of a former teacher and the father of 2 small children ages 2 and 5. 

As stated before, our schools do indoctrinate our children.  What you call socialism, teachers call “sharing.”  From day one of Kindergarten, children are taught to share their toys, learning materials, and ideas.  While you see this as a Communist plot, we call it “learning to work with others,” something that sadly you and many other politicians failed to learn as is proven almost every time the nation requires cooperation across party lines.

Your voting record may indicate why children say that socialism is better than capitalism.  As I said, most of my teaching career was in high-poverty communities.  Because of the lack of funds to these schools (and your voting record is clear that you supported this lack of funding), we had to ration things such as paper and pencils.  Teachers continue to be limited in the number of copies they can make because the school budget does not allow for such “luxuries.”  Senator Santorum, from your own record, it is obvious that you took part in creating this situation.  So, rather than “survival of the fittest,” and allowing the “more motivated” students have access to the pencils and paper, many of us teachers used socialistic techniques such as “rationing,” “sharing,” and “recycling.” 

You voted to fund private tutors rather than reducing class sizes, but yet the “No Child Left Behind Act” states that ALL students should be competent in the tested subjects.  Do you find it ironic that by stating that all must be equal, The NCLB Act supports a socialistic agenda?  I’m certain, however, that you were only using socialism to actually root out the “lower performing students,” and allow the “gifted students” to rise up as would be part of a true capitalistic agenda based on competition and success through personal effort.  Through the NCLB, you can, in effect deny funding to those schools that do not perform as arbitrarily decided by people who have little to no educational background.  Sadly, you did not make it clear to teachers or school administrators that this was your agenda.  So, in the spirit of socialism, schools attempt to teach EVERY child to reach his or her highest potential, and schools have jumped aboard and teach to the arbitrary standards (which, as I’m sure an expert on education such as yourself would know are not statistically valid measures of actual educational goals).  Despite the large class sizes, teachers try to give their time equally to all students with added time during their lunch breaks, planning periods, or recess to assist the lower performing students.  So that we know unequivocally that you do not support these socialistic techniques, will you please go on the record and state that education is ONLY for those who can compete at the top notch? 

Again, as one who sees public education as the enemy as it is in its current form, I, and many Americans would like your answers to the following questions:

            *Though you attended Butler (PA) Area School District in your youth, you graduated from Carmel High School in Illinois (a Private Catholic School).  Though I don’t think many would begrudge your private education, could you please let the public know how this qualifies you to legislate public school policy?

            *As a person of faith and a pastor, I believe most certainly that God created the universe.  If you will permit me to assume that from your “Santorum Amendment” to the NCLB which basically says that schools should be required to teach Intelligent Design and promote the idea that the evolutionary theory is flawed, why do you also state “Compassionate Conservatism relies on healthy families, freedom of faith…(emphasis is my own)” (November 17, 2005: "The Conservative Future: Compassion". http://townhall.com/columnists/ricksantorum/2005/11/17/the_conservative_future_compassion)?  How does promoting this religious belief in public education allow for “freedom of faith?”

            *In order for schools to be able to avoid vicariously teaching socialistic concepts such as sharing, rationing, and recycling, would you please go on the record that you in fact support funding schools so that each student can have his/her own piece of paper, pencil, textbook, etc. and that teachers will be provided with adequate educational essentials so they do not have to spend money out of their own pockets (taking away from their families and their own wellbeing)?

            *Finally, so that the idea of competition to achieve a desired end can be taught and practiced, will you please go on the record and advocate for the complete repeal of the NCLB which in fact promotes a socialistic agenda saying that ALL students are equal?

Senator Santorum, as an American, voter, former teacher, current parent, person of faith, and pastor, I ask that you address the above questions so that America does not fall into the abyss of what was once the Soviet Union under communism.

I will pray that you make wise decisions during your presidential campaign and in whatever may follow.