Alexander says he'll make state and local control of schools a priority in a Republican majority, campaign cites poll showing Americans agree

Lamar Alexander's campaign for re-election today cited a nationwide Gallup poll that shows Americans overwhelmingly agree with him that states and local school boards, not Washington, should decide what is taught in public schools. Alexander said accomplishing that goal would be a priority in a Republican majority. 

"Washington just can't keep its sticky fingers off of our schools, and this Gallup poll shows that Americans share many of the concerns we've seen in Tennessee, and that Senate Republicans have been trying to address," Alexander said. "The Obama administration has been acting like a national school board, making decisions about standards, tests and other issues that should be left to states and local school boards. If Republicans take a Senate majority -- and I have the opportunity to serve as chairman of the Senate education committee -- we can begin to reverse the trend toward a national school board and get Washington out of our local schools."

The Gallup poll showed Americans "prefer local school boards over federal goverment, 56% to 15%."  In 2013 in his role as the lead Republican on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, Alexander introduced the "Every Child Ready for College or Career Act."

The legislation -- which would let states decide whether schools and teachers are succeeding or failing and remove from Washington decisions about standards, tests, teacher evaluations and other issues -- was supported by Republicans on the committee and rejected by Democrats. If Republicans were to win a Republican majority in the U.S. Senate in November, Alexander would be in line to serve as chairman of the HELP committee.