By Matt Viser Globe Staff

WASHINGTON – Mitt Romney on Wednesday proposed a significant restructuring of the American education system, one that would revamp the funding formulas, encourage more charter schools, and revive the debate over how poor and disabled students choose the schools they attend.

Saying the country is “in the midst of a national education emergency,” Romney lamented that the current education system does not live up to the country’s standards.

“Here we are in the most prosperous nation, but millions of kids are getting a third-world education,” Romney said. “And, America’s minority children suffer the most. This is the civil-rights issue of our era. It’s the great challenge of our time.”

Romney delivered the 25-minute speech in Washington at the US Chamber of Commerce, located several hundred yards from the White House offices he hopes to soon occupy. Although he was speaking to a gathering of Latino small business-owners – who had bottles of tequila sitting on each table -- Romney never mentioned immigration policies and only mentioned the words “Latino” or “Hispanic” three times.

Instead, his remarks were tightly focused on sweeping changes to the education system. The broadest change involves funding for special needs and low income students.

Right now, some $26 billion in federal funds goes to districts based on how many of those students – whose needs tend to increase the costs of education – attend their schools. Romney would instead provide a voucher of sorts that would allow each student to take the federal funds and use it to attend a school of their choice, potentially including a private school.