Linking Education with the Economy, Marco Rubio Focuses on the Future

On the campaign trail with former Gov. Jeb Bush on Monday in Hialeah, former House Speaker Marco Rubio, the likely Republican nominee in the U.S. Senate contest, focused on education, offering ideas on how to improve Americas schools. Rubio said that education and the economy are closely connected.

If America is to remain an exceptional country, it is essential that we grow our economy and create jobs, said Rubio. Beyond the solutions needed to encourage economic growth, we must also put in place long-term strategies to build the American economy of tomorrow. America won't continue to be the strongest economy in the world if our education system is anything less than the best. If our children are to fully benefit from the prosperity these measures will bring, we must ensure that our education system prepares them to compete for the jobs of tomorrow.A good education is critical.The greatest resources in America have always been the talent and drive of our people, and a society that encourages and rewards hard work.

However, in order to maintain this exceptional quality and make sure our children can truly seize tomorrows opportunities, we must provide them with a world-class education system one that challenges and prepares them to compete with the best and brightest minds from around the world, added Rubio."Washington must have the courage to put aside partisan bickering, resist the influence of entrenched special interests, and fight to bring accountability-based reforms to every classroom in America. Once again, Im the only candidate in this race who understands this and has laid out a concrete set of ideas to improve education.

Rubio called for more education tax credits -- including giving corporations tax credits if backing school choice programs. He also pushed for more congressional review of Department of Education programs, reforming block grants, including educators in tort reform, focusing on teaching science and math, pushing opportunity scholarships for students stuck in low-performing schools, and creating federal scholarships for students with learning disabilities modeled on the McKay scholarships in Florida.