Background[]
- In March 2007, PA's senior US Senator, Arlen Specter, joined Sen. Hillary Clinton to introduce a bill that would create the United States Public Service Academy, modeled on the country's prestigious military academies.
Insights[]
- A 'West Point' for future politicians?
- Maybe a few politicians need to go back to school for some lessons on the negotiation process.
Details[]
- Would provide a four-year, federally-funded college education for students who are willing to give a five-year commitment to working as public servants (teachers, police officers, elected officials) after they graduate.
- Chris Myers Asch, a founders of the public service academy concept and a former educator with Teach for America. Says young people were eager for such an opportunity. "This is a new generation," he said. "It's a generation that grew up after 9/11, after Katrina. They want a chance to serve."
- The first class of 1,300 spots would use a congressional nomination process that secures recruits for West Point.
- Curriculum would combine "a broad-based liberal arts education with an emphasis on public service and leadership development."
"I'm not going to influence the curriculum, but I would like to see it move public service toward elected positions. I think -- without casting dispersions on all 535 of us -- I think we could use a little improvement on professionalism," Senator Specter said of his colleagues.
Mrs. Clinton said the school would be on the legislative "fast track." A similar bill has been introduced in the House.
"Many committed young people graduate from college with so much debt, they cannot go into public service," she said.
If lawmakers approve the academy, there would be a two-year timeline to get it started, Mr. Asch said. It would cost about $205 million per year to run.
He said he would like to see the academy in Washington, DC. But legislators will have the final say on location.