advertisement

Foster, Khouri debate government's role in education

U.S. Rep. Bill Foster says the federal government plays an important role in improving education nationwide.

Foster, a Democrat from Naperville who is seeking a third term representing the 11th Congressional District, says lawmakers who are hesitant to dedicate more spending to education should take a closer look at the return on investment.

He points to the GI Bill, which taxed the wealthy to cover college costs for World War II veterans, as a good example.

"People have now looked at that and they found that the federal government got it's money back seven times over," he said. "When I see the sort of mindless tax cuts for the wealthy, cuts to education, I just think we've got it exactly backward in this country."

But Foster's Republican challenger, Tonia Khouri, says she prefers that the federal government lessen its grip on education.

"I think education is done more effectively and efficiently at the local level," she said. "The federal government should stop handing down unfunded mandates, for one. Nobody knows their communities like the local school districts."

Khouri, a DuPage County Board member and small-business owner from Aurora, said she believes in school choice, which would give families alternatives to public schools, including the ability to send their children to schools that best meet their needs instead of schools assigned by residence.

"I'm all about opportunity," she said. "Everyone deserves the opportunity to get a good education and fulfill their dreams, and what they do with that opportunity is up to them."

The two are vying for a seat that covers parts of Cook, DuPage, Kane, Kendall and Will counties, including Aurora, Naperville, Bolingbrook, Burr Ridge and Joliet.

Foster and Khouri agree that the price of college tuition is too high but have different approaches about how to address the problem.

Foster said he supports reduced-cost tuition and an increase in the federal minimum wage to about $11 or $12 an hour to help students pay for that tuition.

"I think when you provide something absolutely free, the potential of abuse exists," he said. "Getting an education without skin in the game is not good."

Foster said he also would like to see colleges compete more on providing high-quality education and less on fancy facilities.

"We have to get back to universities being more focused on education and more connected on what they educate students for to the jobs that actually exist," he said, adding that strong federal data collection efforts document jobs available to students.

As a physicist, Foster has advocated for more science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education, understanding that many jobs in the future will require an understanding of math and science. He also supports measures to address the cost of college textbooks, which he said average $1,200 to $1,500 per year per student.

"I'm pushing, on a bipartisan basis actually, to get federal support for the creation of high-quality textbooks that can be downloaded for free on the internet," he said. "It's not everything, it doesn't solve the whole problem, but it's something I've gotten huge support for, and it's going to be part of solution."

But Khouri said Foster was "nibbling around the edges" and not addressing the real problem, which she says is solving why college tuition costs are skyrocketing.

"We need to focus on bringing the tuition down from the college's point of view," she said. "My opponent's answer to everything is the government. The government is not the answer to everything. Let's get to the root of the problem."

Khouri said she does not agree with the arrangement the federal government has with colleges to guarantee them student loans.

"We need to look at the funding of these loans that are being handed out to students, because if I'm a college and the loans I'm handing out are going to be guaranteed by the federal government, well I'm going to hand out a lot more loans, aren't I?" she said. "Students should be able to go to college on scholarships, but I don't think the federal government should be guaranteeing all these loans, and then you have all these students who are not able to pay back those loans."

Khouri said she recognizes that not every child is meant to go to college. She wants to see more workforce training provided to kids coming out of high school, to help them land a job that will allow them to provide for themselves and their families.

She said she would support a minimum-wage increase, but only at the local level.

"These are big ideas, and we need leaders with big solutions and bold solutions right now," she said.

Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.