Pat on the Issues: Education
As we look to the future for our district, our state, and our country, nothing is more important than giving our children the education they will need to compete successfully in our changing world. Schools, parents and government must work together to prepare the next generation to take the lead. We cannot, and should not, expect the schools, the government or the parents to shoulder this entire burden alone.
Facing the reality of statewide budget restrictions, local government can still have an impact in making our schools more successful.
Two of the problems which make the job of our schools more difficult are 1) the vulnerability of our children to outside influences that don’t prioritize education and 2) a lack of support at home.
Children with unsupervised time on their hands are more likely to make bad decisions. We can work to bring in private funding for after-school programs. We need to give our children safe alternatives after school, such as homework centers and clean, safe libraries. Our children will be more successful in school and less likely to become involved in gangs.
Often, parents are not sure how they can get involved in their child’s education. We can help by fostering cooperation with organizations that are willing and able to provide opportunities for parents to learn how they can become more supportive of their students.
Finally, the best predictor of students’ ultimate educational level is the educational level of their parents. We must stress continuing education programs for parents, so that they can lead their children by example. If they have not completed high school, we should help them finish.