Educating Our Youth

I believe in the adage, “Education is the only sure way for many children to escape poverty.”

According to the Louisiana Department of Education, in 2011, only 70 percent of its students graduated from high school. It was an improvement from 2010, but falls far short of the national average. It is my belief that children in Louisiana deserve a better than average education. As a proud graduate of a New Orleans’ public school I know that public education can work, if we invest in its success, empower teachers to do what works in instruction, and promote parental involvement.

To that end, I support protecting the US Department of Education from drastic cuts. A cut to any education program is tantamount to cutting our nose to spite our face. If we cut pre-school then, instead of setting up kids for success, we will set them for failure. If we slash literacy programs we will undermine the foundation of learning. If we cut college assistance—such as Pell Grants—we will price some out of higher education.  I maintain that we cannot and should not play politics with our children’s futures.

In the 2011 State of the Union address, President Obama challenged Congress to out-innovate, out-educate and out-build the rest of the world, in order compete globally. I believe that we can and must educate our way to a more prosperous future. 
 

Additional Resources on Education:
US Department of Education:
http://www.ed.gov/
Orleans Parish School Board:
http://www.nops.k12.la.us/
Jefferson Parish School Board:
 http://www.jppss.k12.la.us/district/home.aspx
Louisiana Recovery School District
http://www.rsdla.net/Home.aspx
Louisiana Department of Education
http://doe.louisiana.gov/
Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE)
http://doe.louisiana.gov/bese/
Louisiana's Public Colleges and Universities
http://www.regents.doa.louisiana.gov/index.cfm?md=pagebuilder&tmp=home&pid=3&pnid=0&nid=13