Jesse Ventura Response 1
Question 1: Many alternatives to the existing education
system have been proposed; including charter schools, vouchers and private
sector involvement. Do you favor any of these approaches, or do you
have specific proposals to strengthen the current system?
I grew up in South Minneapolis and am a product of the public school
system. I believe in supporting the public schools. If individuals
don't want to go to the public schools, they have the choice to go to
private schools. But it is their responsibility to pay for that
option, not taxpayers.
I place much of the blame that falls on the public schools today on
the parents. If your kid is 12 or 13 years old and doesn't know how to
read, where have the parents been? Why didn't they figure out that
their kid can't read when the kid was in first or second grade? Why
weren't they in the schools doing something about it then, instead of
blaming the schools now?
As Governor, I will say no to vouchers and no to public tax support
for private schools. I will work to strengthen the public schools. And
I will work to get parents more involved in the education of their
kids.
