Ben Carson’s Position on Education

Ben Carson wrote an op-ed in The Washington Times on January 13, 2016, to discuss the importance of school choice, including voucher programs and charter schools, and local control of education.  In an interview with Glenn Beck on October 21, 2015, Carson said he would use the Department of Education “to monitor our institutions of higher education for extreme political bias and deny federal funding if it exists.”

In an interview with Breitbart on September 7, 2015, Carson advocated for school choice. He said, “As a country, we should be focused on promoting a quality education for everybody like we once did. We should focus on the things that work. We know that there are a lot of private schools and charter schools that work. We also know that a lot of our inner-city public schools do not work. We need to do everything we can to provide parents with choice.”

During an interview with Politico in April 2014, Carson discussing education funding. He said, “If you happen to be in an affluent community, there’s a lot more money for the schools, better facilities, everything. All that does is perpetuate the situation. Wouldn’t it make more sense to put the money in a pot and redistribute it throughout the country so that public schools are equal, whether you’re in a poor area or a wealthy area.”

In a February 2015 op-ed, Carson discussed the connection between personal responsibility and higher education. He wrote, “There has been much talk recently about providing free community college education. First of all, it is only free if no one has to pay for it. It is not free if we rob Peter to pay Paul. Secondly, Pell grants already exist to pay for community college expenses for needy students. For those who are not needy, there is an old-fashioned remedy that is very effective called work. In fact work might even be beneficial for those who are needy. It certainly provided some very valuable experiences for me.”