September 2nd, 2012
10:09 PM ET
Can Mitt Romney fix our education system?
Former Education Secretary Bill Bennett tells Christine Romans why throwing more money at education won't fix our schools, but a little competition might.
Related: Student News
CNN Student News is ten minutes of commercial-free, cost free news for middle and high school classrooms. It is available on line on our website, as a free downloadable podcast on iTunes and on HLN at 4:00 a.m. ET weekdays during the school year. Go to www.CNNStudentNews.com@CNNSchools on Twitter
@AdvancEDorg Thanks for reaching out!
How can adults manage conversations with young kids about complicated issues? These lessons are tried and true. cnn.it/1xGSS8O
RT @CNNMoney: I went to a for-profit college and my degree is worthless
bit.ly/1wXTHiL via @blakeellis3 bit.ly/1wXTJHz
"Wasting time on the Internet" is now a college course. Good job! You're already earning an A! cnn.it/1tUW3xL
Favorite Videos
| Part of 
I just could not go away your web site before suggesting that I extremely loved the usual info a person supply on your guests? Is going to be again frequently to check up on new posts
How about questioning the very assumption of failing schools. Almost all of the scientists working on the latest NASA Mars mission were public school graduates. The problem is with the culture of poverty which disadvantages kids to a huge degree. I am not saying poor kids can't learn, just that in general they have more barriers. I am saying that we need to address the real problem and not try solutions to a problem that does not exist. IN study after study, charter schools and private schools do not outperform public school when socioeconomic status is factored out. Same for our international standings. Spend more effort helping communities, not giving kids more tests.
Vouchers – as proposed by Romney – will never work, period, and anyone who has thought about this for a few consecutive minutes or done a little reading that presents a balance of perspectives on the issue understands why. This is why although the idea (of vouchers) is now over 50 years old, it has never been implemented. And yet this is the centerpiece of the Republican platform: a scheme that has never worked anywhere and will not work now. So, can Romney fix our education system? No. And Bill Bennet had his opportunity. He wasn't of any use, either. His tired, pandering, disproven ideas took us nowhere.