Education is a Core Concern

Education is a core concern for me.   In West Virginia our public school system produces a huge disparity of outcomes.  This is not necessarily the fault of teachers.  It is a systemic problem.

According to Kids Count DataBook, WV is third to last when it comes to education, despite the fact that West Virginia spends more on education on a per capita basis than nearly every other state.  Two years ago there was an educational audit in WV and over 20 reforms were suggested by the audit.  None of the suggestions were enacted by our legislators, wasting our tax dollars on the audit and once again failing our children.

What the audit suggests is that our state is not lacking in resources, they aren’t being allocated properly.  The fault lies not with our teachers, but with the system.  As your state senator I will work to change that – to give our teachers a fighting chance to succeed.

I am against Common Core – it was approved in our state by an unelected body and without parental involvement or input.   Contrary to the hype, Common Core is not so much a set of standards as it is a curriculum.   Further, it violates the privacy of families for the sake of corporations.  Common core amounts to a federal takeover of our children’s education and actually takes decision making authority away from parents, the primary educators of children.  It is a one size fits all approach that has been proven over and over again to not work!  In contrast, more parental involvement and individualized attention ALWAYS works.

Across the nation, there are more than 20 states that have either repealed Common Core or have introduced legislation to do so.  In the just concluded legislative session here in West Virginia, the House of Delegates voted to repeal Common Core – the bill stalled in the Senate.  As your State Senator, I will make it a priority to work to repeal Common Core and work with educators here in West Virginia and in other states to find solutions to problems we face.  It is also crucial that we protect the privacy of our children and families.

We can no longer afford to maintain the status quo.  It’s been four years since the audit.  Many candidates say they support education reform, but they don’t follow through with action.  We need to act on and address the issues raised by the audit.

Education is a top priority for me, and I am running to fight the status quo and push for changes that we need to make.  A vote for me is a vote against Common Core, for parental rights, more local control of education and much needed reform.