Issue Position: Education

Issue Position

I've worked to expand Alabama's nationally-recognized First Class Pre-K program throughout Alabama because I understand that exposure to voluntary Pre-K programs often determine whether a child later excels in school or falls behind. Studies show that if a child can read at grade level by third grade, they can maintain their progress until graduation. If a child cannot read at level by that time, their chances of ever catching up drop dramatically. That's why I want to expand Alabama's voluntary First Class Pre-K program and give our children a jump start when it comes to learning. Pre-K programs can pay dividends years later in terms of having a prepared workforce that can fill 21st Century jobs. I support funding for career technical training which expands the potential of those in our schools. It's a fact that not every child is going to go to college, and we need to make sure that those who don't are adequately prepared to enter the workforce upon graduation. Career technical training is key in achieving that goal. Even students who do attend college benefit from acquiring the skills that career tech can provide them in high school. Training in the traditional trades also provides much-needed skills to fill the long-standing jobs that fewer and fewer individuals are prepared to fill. Emphasizing, encouraging, and funding career technical training will greatly benefit our economic development efforts. If we really want to have the best schools in the country, we need to pay our educators like we want to have the best schools in the country. It's time we put as much emphasis on being successful in the classroom as we do on being successful on the football field, and the first step toward that goal is paying our teachers a wage that recognizes their efforts.

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