Every child deserves the right to a free and high quality public education regardless of economic status. Public education is the backbone of society and the school is the centerpiece of a community and should be funded as well as we can. Stop giving public money to private schools and make public schools better. Update the curriculum for the new world of technology.

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I believe school is not just about learning facts. Learning how to work together and building community are just as important. We need to teach how to think, not what to think. We need to teach about how to be a good citizen and how to thrive after you graduate no matter what path you take.

Good schools bring people into the community and create economic prosperity, so when we invest in schools we invest in everyone. When people are deciding where to live the school district has a large influence. If we provide good schools people will want to move and invest here.

Well educated students have more opportunities for their future. Knowing how to think logically and communicate ideas effectively will help everyone, no matter what career they choose. College and trade schools need to be much more affordable and assessable, we need the students best suited for those programs to be able to go without having the burden of crushing debt.

Schools help kids find a purpose and direction in life. Whether it be sports, academics, band, FFA or anything else that they care about. These programs keep them busy and motivated. We need more healthy outlets for kids to put their energy into and to keep them off the streets and away from crime.

If people believe the system doesn’t work why would they put effort into become a part of the system? If they believe you can’t get ahead anyway then why try? People need something to look forward to and to have hope. The American dream needs to be attainable again. If you do well in school and follow the rules then when you graduate you will have a decent paying job that can support a family.

Funding keeps getting cut at the state and federal level which is the opposite of what we need. We need a new school in Saint Joseph. We need to pay teachers more. There is no reason students and teachers have to buy their own supplies. Schools need the resources to help as many students as they can and not give up on anyone.

Everyone learns in a different way and at a different speed and we need to be more adaptable. There should be limits on how much the students are on tablets or laptops. Pencil and paper work, in person discussion and teamwork are important too. Learning needs to be more fun, instill creativity and innovation, not just like a boring office job sitting at a desk. Look at what other states and countries that have very good schools are doing and adopt their policies here.

Ensure curriculum is applicable to a changing world. Technology is changing faster than it ever has and we have to adapt to a world in which Artificial Intelligence is ubiquitous and can do many of the tasks that are currently considered work.

Mississippi was near the bottom of school rankings recently and are now close to the top in a fairly short amount of time. We should follow a similar policy to what was done there with their 2013 Literacy-Based Promotion Act. This program holds students and teachers accountable to higher standards. It also increases the training for teachers. We need to give teachers the tools and authority to be able to effectively teach. Give teachers more money and more freedom, but also hold them to higher standards. This is the most important job in the country and should be treated as such. Kids spend so much time at school and the people there are molding their minds for the rest of their lives.

We need to end the voucher system and protect the separation of church and state. Public money should not be used to fund private education. I support private schools, but that doesn’t mean I also can’t support public schools. I support the freedom of religion guaranteed by the constitution, the separation of church and state, and the right of all children to a free and quality education.

I also support homeschooling, which is becoming easier and more prevalent. Parents should do what they think is the best option for their children, but there are also many positives to being at school in person. We need to understand the reasoning behind their decision to homeschool. What is the driving force behind homeschooling? Is it safety, bullying, feeling like there is not an adequate level of education or the content of the curriculum? Please let me know why you homeschool and how we can address changes in public schools to make it a better environment.

This is not going to be quick or easy but it is necessary. If we give up on the children now we are giving up on the future. If the purposed elimination of income tax passes that will shift the tax burden to fund education more on the working class who are already struggling. We have to find more and better ways to fund education.

I look forward to meeting with the leaders of the schools. I would like to know more about their challenges and the best way to address them. I’d like to hear from teachers, principals, superintendents, parents, students, PTO members, and school boards to listen to their concerns and solutions. They are the experts and I want to listen to them.