Nearly 30 percent of our children aren’t graduating from high school on time. The rate is even higher for children from underserved communities. Just as troubling, many of those receiving a diploma still need remedial courses in college or lack basic skills to succeed in today’s workforce.
In the real world, 42 percent of new applicants at Georgia Power fail the company’s pre-employment assessment. Neither our kids nor our state economy can survive at this pace.
Ask any parent or educator in Georgia and they will tell you we are at a critical moment, one which requires the urgency and courage to tackle our state’s challenges head-on. I am the proud mom of a second-grader in Cobb County Public Schools, and my desire to become Georgia’s next state school superintendent is about the world-class public education I want for my daughter and Georgia’s 1.6 million kids.
I believe all of Georgia’s children deserve a high-quality education, regardless of their zip code. Our children deserve educational opportunities that have no geographic, racial or economic boundaries. Our educators are frustrated with the constant changes thrown at them. They deserve a leader they can trust – one who will listen, and will stay the course.
My work with the U.S. Education Department and my 12 years serving in the state Legislature on both the education and appropriation committees, coupled with my legislative track record, demonstrate why I am the most qualified candidate.
As a mom and a proven leader, I am uniquely qualified with the skill, experience and relationships to effectively lead our state Department of Education. Without the knowledge and savvy to effectively navigate the legislative and political process, the state school superintendent simply cannot be effective in this leadership and policymaking position.
To make sure our children are ready to meet the challenges of higher learning and an ever-changing workforce, we have to re-imagine our education system. We have to balance the rigor of an academic education with the development of necessary life and soft skills – like financial literacy, critical thinking and problem solving – to ensure that our children have the tools to succeed both in and out of the classroom.
We have to improve our graduation rate by making education more relevant and rigorous. Leveraging students’ career interests and incorporating new innovations and technology can put students in the drivers’ seat of their own education. We must create a pipeline for education talent in our state that will ensure there is an effective teacher in every classroom and a well-prepared principal leading every school. And we must engage parents and community to play active roles in our schools to support the work of our educators.
While it is clear that we have obstacles to overcome, I am excited about the opportunities ahead. This election is about the future and moving Georgia forward. It is a choice between staying where we’ve been – at the bottom – or harnessing our collective power and ingenuity to strive for where we want our state to be.
