Pope, a former lawmaker, uses his personal fortune to fund conservative advocacy groups, such as the John Locke Foundation and Civitas Institute.
He maintains that he is a longtime supporter of public education.
“I support defending teachers in the classroom,” he said Friday. “I’ve always been a positive constructive critic of the public schools.”
He said he supports merit pay for teachers based on tough standards, more choice for parents by expanding charter schools and tax credits for families who bypass public schools for private schools or homeschooling.
“That is taxpayer money being transferred from the public schools to home schools – unaccountable home schools,” said Brian Lewis, government relations manager for NCAE.
