Condoleezza Rice on Education

Condoleezza Rice views the state of K-12 education as a critical national security threat to the United States, arguing that the failure to adequately educate students—particularly those in low-income and minority communities—undermines the nation's global competitiveness and the American dream. She asserts that the current system effectively traps poor children in failing neighborhood schools because wealthier families can afford to move to affluent districts or select private schools. Rice frames this lack of opportunity as the defining civil rights issue of the current era, warning that inaction condemns generations to joblessness and dependence.

To address this crisis, Rice has strongly promoted structural changes that provide all students with meaningful educational choices, including support for charter schools and vouchers. She stresses the importance of high academic standards, believing that self-esteem is derived from achievement rather than unearned praise. Furthermore, she co-led a task force report finding that lagging student performance in core subjects creates a national security risk by failing to prepare young people for the workforce and the military.