Issue Position: Education

Issue Position

We want the best schools and teachers for kids, so that means ensuring our tax dollars get into the classrooms. With 18 years in Kansas public schools, including eight years at KU--I want to provide the best pre-school through college education for each and every student.

A strong education system leads to a strong workforce and a strong workforce brings about a prosperous economy. That's why investing in education will ensure our well-being, allow our schools to attract the brightest students, and compete for the best teachers. In addition, we need a new focus during the years before a child reaches kindergarten to help shape and influence learning. Higher education, and the promise it represents, lays the foundation for long-term prosperity and upward mobility.

Kansas is strongest when our students have strong public, technical, and higher education systems. Teachers are the single most important resource to a child's learning and I will work to direct dollars to the classroom reduce class sizes by hiring more teachers, and demand accountability. If we raise teacher pay in Kansas to the national average, we can recruit the best, retain the most effective, and create a mentoring support initiative to increase teacher performance.

I'm dedicated to ensuring the next generation has access to a first-rate education and the tools to drive our state and economy forward. We should make college as universal in the 21st century, as high school was in the 20th, for kids and adults who want to go back to school. We can improve graduation rates for high-schoolers and make sure they aren't priced out of higher education by controlling rising tuition. We also need a focus on hands-on vocational and technical training to ensure our workforce has the skills to succeed.

I work from home and I take care of my daughter, so I can't wait until she starts school. We know that early childhood education improves opportunities and outcomes, so we can help build a solid foundation for kids with all-day kindergarten and Head Start. Johnson County Public Schools are among the best in the nation, that's why we need to make sure we fund our classrooms and ensure the best teachers and schools for our kids.

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