Education

The following are areas that must be explored in the coming cycles of government. Education must be a tentpole for any candidate. One of my many childhood dreams was to become an education, and as I grew up I was able to see my sister become an educator in an overpopulated classroom. Throughout school, I stayed closely involved with my teachers and saw the level of car they put into their students. Now it's our time call to action the Department of Education in the biggest change since No Child Left Behind, to adopt a "United States Equal Education Act" aimed to pay teachers more, allocate funds to supply all students with lunch, enlighten and adapt future education, and to adopt a year-round school year to allow for better education for our students. 

It's time we treat our Teachers with the respect they deserve. My proposal is as follow:

• Pay teachers more. On the federal level, our Department of Education needs to step in and act on teacher pay. Too often state budget cuts have drastically affected the ability of funds for Schools. We're seeing the adverse affect of that currently as teachers leave the job field for being underpaid and under-appreciated. By acting on the federal level we can curb the piece of pay. 
• Offering Tax-Free status to $2,500 worth of classroom supplies a year. Teacher's will spend on average $750, many north of $1,000. It's not a teachers responsibility to provide for their job. Instead, they subsidize for their students to make the year easier, and allow them to teach their students. 
• Offering better incentives for college students that enroll and peruse a career as Teachers. By offering more teachers a route to obtain student loan forgiveness in the education field, including on master programs, special education, and secondary schools. 

It's my honest belief that we should eliminate the cost of student lunches as a burden for our parents to worry about, and our schools to enforce payments of. 

Universal Free Lunch is a mandatory need in our communities.

• While the official poverty line lists only 11.4% of American Families automatically into free lunch programs, there is still work to be done.
• 54% of American households make less than $75,000. With rent increases, car costs rising, and more. 
• Education as a tool for societal success hinges on a students ability to learn, be fostered in an environment where they thrive and feel included. By making Lunch universal, we eliminate the need for pressure on kids and parents, and place the focus back into education. 

The pillars for success in the continued education field need to be readdressed to include a broader scoop on what defines continued education. 

Trade Schools over valuable insight directly into how to complete skilled labor jobs. In addition can lead directly into apprenticeship in their respective fields. 

• Trade schools can be valuable for Electric, Plumbing, Carpentry, Nursing, and more. 
• Trade Schools often cost 25% of the traditional cost of schooling. 

Universities in the United States, also cover a wide variety of subjects. The first two years often are studying "General Education," meaning History, Social Studies, English, and more. Compare this to other countries, and we find that the lack of direct insight into a career field shows our graduates often with less knowledge in their undergraduate degrees than other countries. 

Here where we help:

• Move to rewrite the curriculum to a 2-3 year program, eliminating non-essential fields of studies from programs that do not need generals based on their end goal (english for chemistry majors, etc.). 
• Expanding the offering of AP Class levels in high schools, or Dual Credit courses, that eliminate the need for generals in school, with a new level of standard. 

Focusing on Lending Practices

• Student loans plague Americans in excess of 1.3 trillion dollars. Even with recent holds on interest and announced programs for loan forgiveness, the root issues are not being met. 
• Loan amounts should not be over the cost of schooling, housing, and material costs. The current level of excess loans to students for amounts that exceed the financial need is predatory lending to 17 and 18 year olds that are not familiar with the impact it will immediately have upon them in the future. 
• Finance classes should be taught in all High Schools throughout America, with focus on Loan and Lending procedures.
• The Federal Government has a duty to cap interest on Student Loans at 3% for the life of the loan. There's no reason that a student should pay against a loan for 10 year and have no chance to hit the principal of the loan. Student Loans also should be eligible for refinancing after 10 years, for those that needs change. 

I would like to approach a yearly school change for bettering our students lives, as well as making sure we strive for growth and success by eliminating challenges in our way. 

One such way to do just that is by enacting a Year Round School Year, nation wide. 

In my proposal, School Years would run yearly, splitting the traditional "Summer Vacation" into three separate holiday seasons. 

• Winter Holiday would run 3 weeks, including Christmas, New Years, and part of January,
• Spring Holiday would run 3 weeks, most situated in April. 
• Summer Holiday would run for the month of August. 
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The School year would begin in September each year and allow for a guarantee of less time in between lessons for Students. 

The increase in time for lessons, and availability for students to gain extra help sooner, will decrease students chance for a lapse in knowledge from the prior year, decrease the amount of review needed, and allow programs to continue education at a faster pace. 

It also decreases the excessive use of "Snow Days" by covering a longer winter break period. It also allows Teachers vacation periods at different times of the year lessening days needed off of work. As well as provide parents a more stable environment to seek care, that is better defined or take extended time off from work if applicable. 

While the year will be able to be adapted slightly, a year round school. This helps to close the gap on students that don't have a fostering education home for whatever the reason. In addition, it closes the gap on food inequality as students aren't suffering for 2.5-3 months over the summer without direct access to food. It provides more time for activities such as Sports, Theater, Debate, and more by providing a better bridge during the year. 

It will help bus companies keep drivers, as it provides a yearly job opportunity and steady employment. It would need to come with pay increases for Teachers, as they are now expected to work over a traditional period of time in which many taught Summer School, or found summer employment.  

As part of any legislation moving forward on Education, it would be remiss not to address the increase in public school violence. 

There's a multitude of areas we can step in and help with. 

• There shouldn't be an armed teacher. The dangerous implications for students and teachers alike for a concealed or open-carry permitted weapon in a classroom, undermines Education. The classroom should be a worry free zone for all kids as they grow. 
• There should be an increase in the relationship between PD and Schools, as such, there should be a sub-station in every town within 2 minutes of any High School, with a rapid response protocol. 
• There should be mental health checks and evaluations for all students. Check ins with advisers that make note of any irregularities. Policies that do not target out certain students, but rather gives a path for any student that feels like they are not ok to voice their concerns. 
• To ensure adequate training for teachers that call out behaviors of bullying amongst students, with deescalation skills, with signs of mental distress so we can get to troubled students quicker. 

We can do far more, in other legislation that targets control on firearm sells too, however, we can attack the problem head on from both sides.