education reform

The United States has not taken the steps necessary to provide a quality education for all of its children. An educational renaissance will provide the backbone for our next generation of workers and the foundation for young adults to be successful and stable members of society.

There are many excellent schools in our country but that educational opportunity needs to be expanded to everyone. Schools need a baseline level of funding but simply increasing money given to schools is not the answer. New ideas are needed to provide an educational system that introduces children to a high-quality education at an early age and continues to provide a solid, educational foundation throughout high school. New ways need to be found to improve underperforming schools so that all children have the same opportunity to learn and succeed.

Educational reform needs to address the spiraling cost of college education. A college education is more necessary than ever in our world-wide economy, so we need to make college more affordable for young adults to learn the skills necessary to compete without taking on a crippling amount of debt. In addition, feasible alternatives to enter the workforce need to be developed for people who choose not to go to college.

Educational excellence will be lead by the teachers and schools themselves but federal, state and local governments can provide support through the following initiatives:

  • Establish universal Pre-Kindergarten programs.

  • Support of pre- and after-school programs to provide a safe and positive environment for children and allow parents to meet the demands a full-time job.

  • Expand school choice through the use of voucher programs and charter schools to spur competition and improve the performance of public schools.

  • Monetary rewards for teaching excellence and an appropriate salary to entice well-qualified teachers to work at underserved public schools.

  • Targeted standardized testing as part of an overall program to help evaluate teachers / students / school success.

  • Expanded federal and state support for lower college education costs at public universities.

  • Support trade and technical schools that can teach real-world skills that will lead to good-paying jobs and provide a viable option college.