Education

By Kenneth J. Thomas

Ken Thomas supports public schools, seeking to achieve an education for the 21st Century. He is opposed to vouchers which weaken public schools, and will work for smaller class sizes, improved learning technology, and training to make the school-to-work career transition easier for high school graduates who have met state standards.

Q. What is your philosophy on education?

A. I support public education. Public education is the keystone to American democracy. Public schools are the place where children gain the lifelong skills to learn and improve themselves. They are where kids from all neighborhoods, ethnic backgrounds, and religions learn to get along with others and appreciate each other as individuals. Public schools provide the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in life. A citizens, we have an interest in the education of all children, not just our own. A well educated society means a prosperous and capable society. The U.S. Constitution and American political tradition has always placed control of schools at the local level, with states bearing the responsibility to ensure that each child has access to schools that are safe, adequately funded, and meet standards.

Q. What would you improve about public schools?

A. I want to make sure schools are safe places for children. This can be done by concentrating law enforcement against gangs, drug dealers, child molesters, and juveniles who bring weapons onto campus. I want to make sure schools are staffed and funded so that each child receives a quality education which will enable that student to succeed in life and contribute to a civic renewal. I want schools to meet state standards in facilties, faculty, curriculum, and instruction. In each school, we must improve the student-teacher ratio, have smaller sized classes, install modern technology for learning and communication, provide learning experiences outside the classroom, and assist with the school-to-work career transition for young graduates.

Q. Do you support education reform that promotes parental choice in education through tax credits that allow parents to send their children to the school of their choice (public,private, religious or home)?

A. I will always advocate that parents have choices for their children's education. We are fortunate to have religious-based schools available, and I support my parish school by donations at church. But I do not agree that tax money should be provided to private businesses or religious schools. A tax credit is a diversion of state funds, and should not support private or religious schools. However, I do agree that tax deductions for children's educational expenses are appropriate.

Q. Do you support charter schools?

A. Some charter schools are needed as public schools with special purposes or instructional methods. However, in Arizona, we often see private schools masquerading as charter schools. There are too many charter schools in Arizona, they spend tax money without much oversight, and results are very mixed. Many actually result in students being set back in their education, and some have mismanaged public funds. Those who are working to dismantle public education are using charter schools as a stepping stone towards establishing profit-making businesses as the basis for education in Arizona. I want to halt this trend and hold charter schools to the same standards as all other public schools, while still allowing the creativity and flexibility charter schools can provide.

Q. Will you support vouchers for students to attend the public, private, or religious school of their parents' choice?

A. No. Vouchers are a diversion of funds from public schools, and promote segregation. We don't allow vouchers for other public services, why would education be different? If you don't like your local police department, you cannot obtain a "security voucher" of tax money for you to pay for private security guards. Such a diversion of tax dollars would weaken the police department and result in unequal levels of security throughout the community. Vouchers in education don't make sense either.

Q. Do you believe parents should be allowed to "homeschool" their children, and if so, should the state provide greater regulation and oversight of home schoolers?

A. Yes. Abraham Lincoln was home-schooled, and he turned out just fine. Home-schooling is very difficult and time-consuming for parents, if done right. Not every parent is really up to the challenge. But if a family makes that choice, I support the opportunity. The state does need to conduct annual testing of home-schooled children to ensure they are making adequate academic progress, however.

Q. Do you support Arizona's involvement in the School-to-Work program?

A. Yes. In the interests of maintaining high academic standards and avoiding discriminatory tracking, reformers in the last decade have eliminated many of the vocational skills programs in public schools. Their laudable goals unfortunately worsened another problem. Many students are not college-bound. They are more interested in job trades or technician careers. As a result, many young people have a difficult transition from the academic schools to the real world of work. they end up wasting time in low wage jobs for almost a decade before finally settling into an actual career. And high school students with no hope of going to college often drop out. Arizona is ranked the worst of all states in the percentage of high school dropouts. Over 11% of all teenagers in the state are not attending school or working. Only five states have a worse teenage birth rate. These are all symptoms of young people being unable to transition from school to work. Incumbent legislators have not addressed this problem. I would build school- business partnerships and vocational training programs to give those job skill options to students who do not plan to attend college. We should ensure plenty of "exit ramps" and "crossovers" to allow students to change their courses of study in case they decide college is their real goal.

Q. Do you support state funding for school-based health clinics that provide sex education, HIV prevention education programs and distribute contraceptives to students?

A. Tough question, because I do believe parents should have the primary power when it comes to healthcare decisions involving their minor children. Most definitely, I would not favor funding of the distribution of contraceptives to minors at high schools. University students are normally legal adults, so health clinics there should be allowed to do so. However, I do support making available to junior-high, high school, and college students education and information regarding sex, responsibility, venereal diseases, and pregnancy. We teach high school students about the operation of automobiles and show them films and videos of car crashes to alert them to the dangers of irresponsible driving and the devastation of auto mishaps. Teen-age pregnancies and sexually-transmitted diseases are not encouraged by education. Adolescents already have the biological ability to have sexual relations. We need to make sure they understand the dangers and consequences.