I’m going to do something I said that I would never do; I’m going political on my blog. At this point I have no idea who I’m going to vote for and I wouldn’t tell you if I did. What I do feel strongly about is education reform which is going to be a hot topic in our next election. And it should be.

My kids currently attend a catholic private school. I chose it not only for the religion but because I had concerns about the parish and public school in our area. Teacher turnover is high, class sizes are large, and test scores are low. I feared my kids would get lost. They are slow learners with varying degrees of processing issues but don’t qualify as learning disabled which means the public school won’t give them special ed services.

The school they attend has small class sizes and highly educated teachers. The majority of them have their masters degree and many of them have been with our school more than ten years. My kids get the one on one teaching that they need and deserve. I’m fortunate that I can afford their school. Most of America cannot afford private schools or tutors. In fact, those in need of the best teaching are getting the worst. That makes me sad. A good education shouldn’t be a privilege but a right.

Thankfully I’m not the only one who feels this way. Strong American Schools, a project of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, is a nonpartisan campaign supported by The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation promoting sound education policies for all Americans. Say that ten times fast.

Strong American Schools goal is for a serious nationwide debate on education reform where every presidential candidate addresses three priorities that hold great promise for improving education:

  • Agreeing on American education standards
  • Providing effective teachers in every classroom
  • Giving students more time and support for learning

You can find out more by visiting the Ed in 08 site. They have a petition to sign, tee shirts, education statistics for each state and blog bling.

Did you know that half of Latino and African Americans don’t graduate from high school? Those who do graduate often don’t have the proper skills to be successful in the work place. My state has a 75% high school graduation rate with only a 30% college readiness rate. Those rates are actually among the highest in the nation. Pretty scary, people.

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