House Speaker John Boehner (R., Ohio), along with other Republican leaders and charter school parents and students, rallied in support of legislation Wednesday that would "help strengthen and expand the successful Charter School Program."
"If we’re going to have a strong economy for our future, we’ve got to make sure that we find a way to educate more of America’s kids, and charter schools are a big part of that process," Boehner said.
Boehner, speaking during National Charter School Week, said it was a priority of his when he was chairman of the Education & Workforce Committee and continues to be one.
"You know, a strong education system is absolutely essential to have a strong economy," he said. "You can’t have a strong economy without the ability to educate the next generation. And when it comes to the issue of allowing parents to choose schools for their kids, I’ve been a big proponent of that for over 30 years. Why? Because when parents have choices, the kids get a better education and the competition – nobody likes competition – but competition makes everybody better."