Overview
Here are some of my education proposals:
- Expand access to early childhood education.
- Teach kids to think and solve problems, not just to take a test
- Intense drop-out prevention initiatives
- Recruit and retain the best and brightest teachers
- Make college affordable and accessible to all Alaskans
- Expand vocational education and skills training for those who don’t go to college
As the parents of a public school student, nothing is more important to Mara and me than making sure all Alaska children receive a good education. A quality education is the key to success in today’s global economy. Here in Alaska, we need to set a new direction for many of our schools. We rank 42nd in graduation rates – 40 percent of our children don’t graduate high school and it’s 60 percent in our rural communities. This is unacceptable and in Congress, I will work to make sure Washington supports the right changes to our schools, rather than getting in the way of progress.
A good education means teaching our children how to think critically, to solve problems and develop the skills they need to get a good job. I cannot say it often enough – in spite of all the focus on standardized testing, I have never met a standardized kid, or been to a standardized school or a standardized district. We are a state that prizes individuality — accepting an educational system based on standardization and conformity just does not work. When my own children are in the classroom, I want their teachers to know them for who they are and teach them for what they can be. These next years can be a turning point for Alaska education. We can have accountability without sacrificing education – schools exist to teach, not to test. Accountability is important if it leads to better teaching, but it is dangerous when the focus and funding shifts primarily from teaching to testing.
By setting high standards and delivering an education that our students want and the state needs, we can prepare the next generation of skilled and educated leaders.
Click here to let me know what you think.
