Patrick C. Wallace

I am Patrick Wallace, the Libertarian Party Candidate for Alabama State Board of Education – District 8. My greatest passion is family. I am a youth soccer coach who has had contact with hundreds of local youth and heard their stories. I am a product of the public education system. I believe that success is founded on the continuous pursuit of knowledge. Most importantly, I am concerned that our children are missing out on educational opportunities due to the current state of our education system and its forced compliance to government-mandated standards.

I am concerned that our education system is designed by the government and strategically engineered to meet their agenda. The current system is primarily focused on receiving funding resulting in the education of our children being an afterthought. I believe our children’s education is far better off in the hands of dedicated and talented educators with intentional influence and input from their parents. Education has been managed by parents and communities for centuries and only recently seized by the selfish hands of politicians and bureaucracy. Education is the optimum setting to apply libertarian ideals and individual rights Educating our youth should be removed from the forced governmental oversight under which it now falters. The most trustworthy advocates for a child’s education are those who place value on them, those whose objectives seek only the betterment and benefit of the children. In politics, children are statistics and numbers. To their parents and teachers, they are the future leaders, visionaries, and activists. The influence and decisions of the education system belong under the guidance of a group that seeks the benefit, growth, and best interest of our children enabling them to maximize their potential beyond the standards.

As parents who foster our children’s well-being, we must upset the status quo and create a system that serves their future the greatest. We must foster a system that is based on accountability and transparency. A system where our teachers and schools are not forced to follow guidelines that do not serve their student's best interests. The teachers have far too long had their hands tied to doing what they know is best. It’s beyond time that parents reclaim the right to facilitate the education of their children and provide our educators the freedom to apply their passion.

Our children deserve a system that allows for more parental guidance and less governmental influence to provide them with the best opportunities for bright futures. I will stand up for our children's futures, protect the rights of the parents, and fight to create a modern system whose primary focus is the developmental growth of all our children.