Issue Position: Improving Education

Issue Position

Improving education is critical to the economic vitality of the Commonwealth and the future of our children. While we enjoy some excellent schools in Northern Virginia, there is still room for improvement, for example, did you know that only 35% of Virginia students go on to receive a college degree?

My plan to improve education includes:

* Fostering innovation in our schools
* Creating greater focus on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math at earlier levels in elementary school, so that children are gaining more competency and enthusiasm earlier, and as a result, we are better able to achieve the goal of producing more high school and college graduates who are prepared for jobs of the 21st century
* Expand Science, Biology, and Physics Olympiads so that more schools participate
* Placing renewed focus on student achievement and results for dollars spent
* Ensuring more education dollars actually reach the classroom, students, and teachers.
* Require efficient and accountable administration
* Increasing collaboration between higher education and hi-tech industries, to achieve more graduates with Bachelor's and Associate's Degrees
* Aligning higher education and workforce development priorities with regional needs
* Acknowledging what parents and teachers everywhere know: one size does not fit all in children's education; we need to explore what innovators throughout our region and nation are doing and expand choices for education

For over a decade, I have worked to improve education for all in our region. Whether helping tens of thousands of children in after-school programs for at risk youth through nonprofits such as Venture Philanthropy Partners, to serving as a Guest Lecturer in the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University, to serving 2 terms as a member of the board of trustees of an independent school in Northern Virginia.

As a hands on mother of two sons who are in the 4th and 7th grades, I have enjoyed serving our children's school and community as library volunteer, parent room representative, helper with class plays, chaperone for class field trips, and serving on many committees aimed at fostering a better education for our children.

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