Issue Position: Promoting Educational Opportunities for our Children

Issue Position

Ryan Smith is a strong advocate for additional funding for our area schools so that children can acquire an education that will help them pursue their career interests later in life.

After studying the various school districts across the state I have come to the conclusion that there is a large disparity as to the opportunities that every child has depending on the school district. Considering the 93rd House District is in the heart of Appalachia, it is therefore poverty stricken, education is paramount to changing our future. My goal is to give people pathways out poverty by opening up educational opportunities and building a stronger workforce to attract employers to our area.

We can close the huge divide in opportunity by offering blended learning options for students in smaller districts that cannot have teachers for every subject. Of course this requires adequate technology which leads into my Hi-speed Internet and Broadband initiative.

I also intend to pursue grant funding for Advanced Placement (AP) classes in areas that currently don't offer much if any AP classes.

I plan to propose that we fund an in depth study on poverty and its effect on education in order to get to help craft a well thought out plan on how to improve outcomes in high poverty areas. I hope this will allow us to focus our resources where they will do the most good and give the next generation a great opportunity to succeed in life.

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