Wyoming’s Republican candidates for education chief, Steve Harshman, Chad Auer, and Tom Kelly, recently participated in a forum to discuss their views on school choice, funding, and testing. The candidates largely agreed on the need to reduce the emphasis on standardized testing and promote local control in education.

Reducing Standardized Testing

Auer stated that the current assessment system is ‘super expensive, time-consuming, and overly burdensome.’ Harshman noted that his wife, a first-grade teacher, has to teach 41 English language arts standards, which is ‘out of control.’ Kelly emphasized the importance of equipping Wyoming’s 48 school districts with autonomy to tailor education to local needs.

Local Control and School Choice

The candidates also discussed the importance of local control in education. Kelly stated that ‘one elected official and a team of bureaucrats in Cheyenne cannot meet our kids where we need to in the different communities.’ Auer agreed, saying that ‘local control is fundamental to the way we do things in Wyoming.’ The candidates also touched on the topic of school choice, with Harshman expressing concerns about the state’s universal school voucher program, which he believes violates the state constitution.

Experience and Qualifications

Harshman highlighted his extensive experience in education policy, having spent 25 years working on education issues. Auer emphasized his experience working in the education department, including his time as chief of staff under former Superintendent Brian Schroeder. Kelly, a former teacher, emphasized his commitment to minimizing state interference in local education decisions.

Original reporting: Oil City News (Casper WY) — read the source article.