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Herman Cain’s Views on Education
Cain would trim the bureaucracy, increase teachers’ accountability and ‘put kids first.’
Herman Cain is a businessman, politician, columnist, and radio talk show host from the state of Georgia. He is the former chairman and CEO of the Godfather’s Pizza chain and spent time as both deputy chairman and chairman of the board of directors to the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. In May of this year, Mr. Cain officially announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination for President of the United States.
Education is “the key”
On his campaign’s website, Cain articulates that he believes education to be the “key to unlocking a prosperous future.” As far as he is concerned, education starts and stops with the students in mind. He believes that the education system has become weighed down with administration that has “shifted the focus from educating students to maintaining an excessive level of bureaucracy through expanded unionization and regulation.” Mr. Cain thinks that it is time to “unbundle education” from the federal government and return it back to the local level it used to reside at in this country.
How Cain would improve education
Cain state that while most teachers are in the field of education to foster intellectual development for eager minds, not all are living up to their end of the bargain. He would implement a “system of accountability” that would reward those teachers whose students excel and better evaluate those whose students perform poorly. As Cain puts it, “Performance incentives work in business, and they will work in education, too.”
A critical component of improving education in the United States, according to Cain, is to “decentralize” the federal government’s control over it. He believes that children are best served when the teachers, parents and principals are making the day-to-day decisions, coupled with the leadership of local municipalities, school boards and states. He feels that flexibility and adaptability ought to override continuity. On his website he states, “What might work for a third grader in Oklahoma might not work for a third grader in Hawaii.”
Putting Kids First
“Kids first” is a common refrain from the former CEO. Cain feels that another way we can put kids first is to offer school choice as a real option for educational competition. This means expanding school vouchers and charter schools. Such measures, Cain claims, have proven time and time again to best serve the students, many of whom do not have the economic means of attending better schools.
For Cain, putting kids first means rewarding those teachers who enrich the lives of their students, and it means holding those accountable who do not. It means putting students before union interests, and it means keeping their development paramount.
From an interview Cain gave to The Daily Caller:
“Long term, the amount of money coming from the federal government relative to education going to the states would gradually decrease over time such that the states would be responsible, starting at the local level, for developing better education in their states. (The Department of Education) would be dramatically smaller. I’m a big believer in ‘take the problem closest to where the problem is,’ and you’ll find a better solution. Good education, in my view, starts at home and at the local level and it works its way up, not the other way around.”
Wednesday
September 7th, 2011
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Comments
I think that Mr. Cain has a lot of great points about education. However, I have been teaching full-time since 1985. I have taught in Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Kansas, Minnesota, and now Georgia. The problem does not lie with the teachers so much as it does with the parents. It has been proven that there has been a steady decline in America of the concept of “family time”. Out of 25 Kindergarteners who enter school, it is my educated guess that over half of them do not know their ABC’s and how to count to 20. They can not write or read hardly any words, so Kindergarten teachers are starting from ground zero. A great majority of the parents want the schools to raise their children and “fix their kid”. This is not possible. Discipline issues (rude and unruly children) in many schools across the country is a very serious issue. Bullying and harrassment is a very serious issue. Neglect and abuse is a very serious issue. Tardiness and absences are at an all-time high. Phone numbers to contact parents are non-exsistant or simply are “disconnected at this time”. So, I beg you Mr. Cain to rethink your stand on your education platform. Yes, there are some bad apples in the bunch of teachers. That is true anywhere you go with any job. It is up to the Principals to weed the bad teachers out. However, in every state that I have taught, I have found that 99% of the teachers REALLY DO CARE. They work every evening and most weekends planning and grading papers, etc. It would be a very difficult and equitable task to award performance incentives across the board when many schools ability group their students for instruction. Although I do not have a Special Education degree, I usally get that lowering performing subgroup and the Early Intervention Group, even though I have a Master’s Degree in Gifted Education from Purdue University. Since my group usually scores the worst, even though we make great gains in achievement, my students struggle to pass. There is virtually little support from home, and every year we have a drastic turn over in population in most classes. So, my argument is not to reward individual teachers, but please provide teachers the financial means to meet the needs of our students. I spend around $2,000 or more of my own money providing incentives for my students. I am not alone. Our funds in Georgia have been cut and we have furlough days to help keep the costs down. Please Mr. Cain, come to our schools in Georgia and ASK THE TEACHERS what needs to be done to improve education. Yes, it would help to run a school more like a business in many respects, but I totally disagree that performance incentives are the key. Please look at what schools in Georgia are doing to help improve education. Every teacher I have met, and there are over 40 in our building alone, works extremely hard to get their students to pass the CRCT (Criterion Referencec Competency Test) and achieve other goals throughout the year. We all would deserve a performance incentive raise. The work ethic, discipline, and desire to learn in school STARTS INTHE HOME. if you want to give money to education, please help doctors and schools convince the parents that they need to become involved in their child’s education from the day they are born. Reward the parents when they show up for a conference (because many do not come), but also come up with stricter laws holding the parents more accountable for getting their children to school on time and returning papers that need to come back to school (homework, discipline reports, assignment lists, etc.) so that we teachers can work together with the parents to help the children. Mr. Cain, the teachers are not the enemy. Please help and support us! The states do not have enough money to do this alone, so we still need Federal funding. However, the Federal Government needs to hold schools and parents accountable for meeting the needs of the children, but let schools handle where the money goes. Vouchers will not work. Those poorer schools need more financial support and so do the parents who sometimes have to work 2 and 3 jobs to make ends meet. That means they are not spending quality time with their children and have no idea what the child is learning or needs to learn. Again, it is not the school’s fault. We teachers can not pick and choose who walks into our classroom. We have little power to remove unruly children who prevent the other students from learning, so alternative schools need to also be an option for schools. I beg you to interview teachers across the board. Spend a week in a public school classroom and see for yourself and you will change your mind about some of your views! Thank you for your time.
I concur completely!! I have taught in Independent as well as Public schools in Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Wisconsin, DC and North Carolina. I have taught in Title 1 schools, Montessori, Gifted and Talented, Year Round and Traditional calendar schools. THE FIRST AND MOST IMPORTANT STEP IS GOOD PARENTING!!!!! I believe that it should be mandatory to pass “Parenting Classes” in Middle and High Schools in order to graduate. The chain of family values has been severely broken and will not be repaired unless good educators enlighten the next generation. As educators we need support that includes parents and administrators. This needs to be a team effort! When we receive MANY students with parents that see schools as the ones to do all the educating of their children. These parents are usually the loudest complainers or they are parents that are never available when their child does not succeed.
The other burning question is how do you show accountability for teachers of the Arts. Foreign Languages and Physical Education. These programs are just as important as the day to day classroom and even more for some students. These program have been cut or are not given the same status as the classroom. Are we not supposed to educate the WHOLE CHILD to be global citizens?
Personally, I will not vote for a career politician again. Mr. Cain seems to have the economy as his top concern. While the economy is very important, OUR CHILDREN ARE OUR FUTURE. I hope he can explore the education problem further to gain my total respect and my vote. I would also scream from the mountain tops to elect someone with this vision.
I concur completely!! I have taught in Independent as well as Public schools in Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Wisconsin, DC and North Carolina. I have taught in Title 1 schools, Montessori, Gifted and Talented, Year Round and Traditional calendar schools. THE FIRST AND MOST IMPORTANT STEP IS GOOD PARENTING!!!!! I believe that it should be mandatory to pass “Parenting Classes” in Middle and High Schools in order to graduate. The chain of family values has been severely broken and will not be repaired unless good educators enlighten the next generation. As educators we need the support that includes parents and administrators. This needs to be a team effort! When we receive MANY students with parents that see schools as the ones to do all the educating of their children how can we get them to be a part of the solution?. Also, these parents are usually the loudest complainers or they are parents that are never available when their child does not succeed.
The other burning question is how do you show accountability for teachers of the Arts. Foreign Languages and Physical Education. These programs are just as important as the day to day classroom and even more for some students. These program have been cut or are not given the same status as the classroom. Are we not supposed to educate the WHOLE CHILD to be global citizens?
Personally, I will not vote for a career politician again. Mr. Cain seems to have the economy as his top concern. While the economy is very important, OUR CHILDREN ARE OUR FUTURE. I hope he can explore the education problem further to gain my total respect and my vote. I would also scream from the mountain tops to elect someone with this vision.
Editor Matthew,
What are your thoughts about what Gene (above) and I posted? Do you have children in a public school? Have you spent at least a week in a public school and interviewed teachers? I read that you are a supporter of high academic standards. I agree…let’s not “dumb down” the rigor/curriculum because many students are not making the mark. However, if more educational funding is cut, don’t expect more students to start going to college, getting jobs, and being respectful. Don’t you see a downward, out-of-control trend already because of lack of funding for schools? Teachers should not become scapegoats! Gene and I are REAL educators currently teaching the FUTURE GENERATION that will lead this great country. (Gene, I think your response was well written. I think all “career politicians” need to go)! They are out of touch, and that goes for the Republicans AND the Democrats! We should have ONE party….THE AMERICAN PARTY! If we had the tools to educate students and hold parents accountable for doing their part in their child’s education, then our country might not be in the mess it is in right now. Education and common sense thinking is the key. There seems to be a lack of common sense in our government these days. I agree, the WHOLE CHILD needs to be educated….and not just “in school”. It takes a village to raise a child…that includes EVERYONE in that child’s life. Before two people decide to have a child, they need to think about that as the MOST IMPORTANT JOB THEY WILL EVER HAVE….BEING THEIR CHILD’S FIRST TEACHER! I am not convinced that many Americans think about this anymore. With education, this can all change for the better. We need leaders who really care about our nation’s future, and that starts AT HOME and supporting the teachers and schools!!!
[...] Cain is quotes saying, Performance incentives work in business, and they will work in education too” Education News [...]
My response to the above unknown person from the “Herman Cain” group is… huh? Who are you? Regardless, please read my responses and go visit teachers in real schools. Most politicians have never set foot in a school since graduating from high school. Not just Mr. Cain, but most politicians are “out of touch” with what is happening in our schools across America. Therefore, how does any politician know “what will work in education” unless they are a teacher in the field? Again, as a teacher, I do not hand pick my students. We ability group in core subjects. I get the Special Ed. and early intervention students in my classroom. I get them to “perform” (make educational gains) and pass the state test. However, the teacher who gets the average to above average or gifted students has scores posted on-line that triple my scores. Does that mean she should get more money than me? I think not! I get several unruly and disruptive students compared to others who get the “cream of the crop.” If my students don’t perform, should I get less money? I think not! In business, the employers look at resumes and interview before they hire someone. As a teacher, I get whatever walks through my door no matter what! I don’t interview the students in August and tell some of the parents, “I’m sorry, but your child is in third grade now but can only read at a pre-primer level. He can’t write a complete sentence. He doesn’t know his basic addition and subtraction facts. So, I refuse to teach your child. He is working too far below grade level.” I do the best I can with what I get! Performance incentives will drive good teachers out of education. They won’t work! Hold the principals of each school accountable for their teachers and staff. That is their job! Hold the parents accountable for doing their part, also.
H.Cain seems to be the right candidate, but one thing he has to hold: to involve the american people into shaping this country, that’s what he said! so it means that american people share trust between another: if if generals and g.agencies can shape foreign policy decisions, then why others like teachers/educators can not shape policy of the education system? As the comments above as well as resent academic publications on economic development suggest, that economic growth can be achieved through implementing better rules, rules shaping interactions among people, which is clearly defined here as lack of parental support or no rule/ruling at all, this is a serious issue. Second is the money, well there is a choice to be made: do we save on education or we do not save on education. If we decide to save at what cost then?Dear Mr. Cain, you have promised to listen to the right people, and there are many of the right people doing their work, so this is a very great chance to show that you really do it, you could use it!Trust the people and the people will trust you;) Good Luck! Greetings from Lithuania
I am curious. What kind of public education system does Lithuania have? Does Lithuania have parents who support their children in school? Is public education well funded? Thanks for your comments. We need to save public education in the U.S. If we want to improve our country, it ALL starts with a great education for the whole child. That means that parents have to instill very early in their child routines of good study habits and of following through with their responsibilities. Parents need to instill high morals and a strong work ethic for the instrinsic value. They need to teach tolerance and appreciation. Trust is earned. I am still waiting for Editor Matthew and Herman Cain to comment. I trust they both care enough to respond to the comments from above.
To AM Jones: Lithuania has a public school system with a couple private schools in the capital, but basically all Lithuanians (rich and poor) send their kids to public schools. Each kid is assigned to one class (class comprises of 25-30 kids i.e. 8th A or B or C) and each class gets their supervisory teacher, who gets into contact with parents. Meetings between parents of one class and the supervisory teacher are made regularly (2-5 times a year) . Teachers can access parents easily and parents are called to talk and sometimes meet if there are some problems with a student (Skipping classes; being rude and etc.) and this system has usually worked well, because through cooperation between parents and teachers kids get more accountable for their behavior, and they know it!
Moreover, recent decade of emigration to western Europe has raised a similar problem you have, there are teachers, there are kids, but access to parents or any other responsible (or rather caring) person is kind of closed, so as a result we marginally get the same problems you have at the moment. To conclude I could say, that there exists a strong correlation btw kids performance on whether their parents cooperate or not. So if like in the U.S. there is low cooperation level, this results in net society loss, it is bad for everyone 
Wow! Your comments are very interesting. It sounds like your teachers are treated with more respect. That’s great news! We have immigration issues in the U.S., also. I am all for providing for the needs of all American citizens, but not for providing for those who take away from tax-paying, legal citizens. It is a shame that people don’t “play by the rules” in society. As I am sure you have heard, our U.S. government disagrees about who should and shouldn’t pay taxes and how much each “class” of people should pay. (This all has an effect on our public education systems). I am not rich, but I pay my fair share of taxes. About 48% of U.S. citizens don’t pay any taxes at all, but the government provides for them in many ways. These are usually the citizens that don’t have a vested interest in their child’s education. Some of these people think that “life owes them a living” so to speak. These are the citizens that abuse the system. They are the “leeches” of society. Those parents believe that schools can “fix” or “raise” their children. I guess every citizen of every nation needs to start raising responsible children by setting a better example. Thanks for your response. I hope that the young adults of today (the soon to be parents in society) start taking note of what is happening before it is too late. Everything is somehow interrelated in life. (It is kind of like…”what goes around comes around”). Blaming teachers for the downfall of public education will not fix the problems. Teachers, unfortunately, become the scapegoats. I agree with you. Cooperation between the parents and their child’s teacher(s) is imperative! In some school districts, there is great cooperation and communication. In many districts, however, there is not. Many parents are overworked, underpaid, or are unemployed! They can’t provide for their children. Out of anger or frustration, they blame the teachers and school. Some cannot read or write or do elementary-level school work. Therefore, they can’t or don’t help their children with homework. Some do not read or speak enough English to be able to help their children. Like I said earlier, the politicians need to stop playing politics and look at the how the poor economy and partisan bickering in our government is hurting everyone! The more educated someone is, the better off they will be. So, why aren’t the politicians putting the needs of public education (our children’s needs) near the top of their list?
When I was a third grader my friend asked me: would you choose to be very strong but stupid, o rather intelligent but not very strong? We both knew the right answer (10 year old..)
Then why do adult people get confused with this question?
Cain’s position resonates with voters, but it’s incredibly misguided.
A child’s performance in school is primarily dictated by three things. Innate ability, the school environment, and the home environment. Unquestionably, the biggest single factor by a wide margin is the home environment.
These three factors form, if you will, the three central supporting legs of a child’s growth into adulthood. Blaming teachers is a common knee-jerk reaction, but it’s just one part of the problem (and typically not even the largest part).
You can’t fix a shattered three-legged stool by repairing a single leg. In fact, trying to support the future on just the one leg will only break the system further. We need to have a more comprehensive approach to education reform, or it will be continually doomed to failure.
I just tried to comment and it wouldn’t post. So, as succintly as possible:
I am K-8th grade music teacher
1. Parents should be help accountable for the student(s) they send to school. It is their responsibility to train their children to respect their elders, and the like. They should also tell their children that not liking a teacher or their subject matter does not justify disrespect or refusal to do their work.
2. I just love that there are doctors, lawyers, musicians, actors, and professional athlete that make hundreds of thousands and millions each year, yet the people who taught them make substantially less.
3. By taking arts out of education, we will be one dimensional. Also, removing arts, will not make students gravitate toward math, science, and technology.
*by the way, where is reading, writing, and grammar. My students can barely read, let alone write and spell correctly. I remember being taught each of these separately…
I’m sure there was more in the original comment. POLITICIANS, please go to see real teachers in action. Those of us that are on the front lines everyday, not the fairy tales that appear in our education textbooks.
I apologize for the typo in point 1. “Help” should be “held.”
The replies above are well said! Thanks for your responses. Herman Cain is out of the race due to his immoral issues. I feel sorry for his wife who appears to have been clueless about his many inappropriate actions with other women. So, who in the Republican Party now speaks for teachers and mainly for our children and their education? Who has a clear mind about what others above have said above and will help and not hurt public education and teachers? Certainly Obama’s “Race to the Top” is not the answer! How can educators get what they need to meet the needs of students attending public schools? I fear that public education is on the brink of failure. Things will get a lot worse before they get better. Sadly, it is our future generations that will suffer. For those who blame teachers, please sign up to be a substitute teacher for a month in an average or even impoverished school. See what teachers are dealing with on a daily basis, and then formulate your opinion.