Paula on the Issues - Education
Education
As a former high school English teacher in Tucson, I know first hand the challenges our teachers and administrators face. Our children are our future and we must invest in providing the best educational system for them. We need to invest in better salaries for our teachers in order to attract the best and the brightest. We need to upgrade our school buildings in order to provide a more suitable environment for learning and we need to spend more dollars on public education in Arizona, in general.
I am committed to providing quality education by advocating for reduced class sizes, promoting pre-school and after-school programs for every child that includes an emphasis in academic excellence, promoting a master teacher program to mentor other teachers, and encouraging greater parental participation in principal hiring and in decisions regarding school programs.
It will take a community-wide approach to improve the quality of education we are offering to children today. It will take a unified effort by parents, business and community members and our higher institutions working together with local and statewide officials to help support and steer our schools and educators towards raising the level of their performance. I look forward to playing a major role in realizing this vision for our children's future.