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EDUCATION

I taught bilingual Middle School Science, Social Studies, and Physical Education, and I’ve seen first hand how our Public Education system has been broken for some time. California ranks 47th out of all the United States, but the State is getting ready to lay off thousands of teachers. Whatever our budgetary issues are, we cannot afford to jeopardize the future of our State. If elected, I would work to reform our Education system by making the following reforms:

• Schools should not be the only place where children are educated. We need to involve as many aspects of the community as possible, and we need a variety of mentors to get involved in children’s lives. I propose a policy where students would be required to obtain after-school “community credits” by working at Non-profit organizations, Health Clinics, Government agencies, and other civic institutions. Businesses could get tax credits for designing “after-school apprenticeships” that teach students certain technical skills, such as accounting, mechanical repairs, computer literacy.
• No other candidate understands more than I do the incredible demands of teaching. On one hand, teachers are tasked with educating our children with minimal resources, and yet they are not allowed to make crucial decisions inside their own classroom. We need to support Teachers and allow them to do their jobs. I propose a “Teachers’ Bill of Rights” that would finally give teachers the power to control their own classroom.
• Why aren’t students taught financial literacy – the one skill that they will need for the rest of their lives? I propose that every high school student is required to take a course that teaches all the aspects about money: budgeting, taxes, interest rates, purchasing instruments like checks and credit cards, investments, and debt. We all know people who are buried in debt and lived beyond their means – much like our own State government. Everyone needs to develop better money skills, and this should start in the classroom.
• We need to reform the credential system. Many young, energetic people interested in becoming educators feel frustrated and discouraged by our bureaucratic and out of date credential system. I know, because I experienced it first hand. After attending a year and a half of the teaching credential process, I didn’t feel any more prepared to teach than before I started, yet I was further indebted than before in student loans. I watched other applicants leave the credential program because they felt “dumbed-down” and obstructed by useless, bureaucratic requirements. I propose reforming the credential process so we can get smart, competent teachers into the classrooms.
• We should offer incentives for talented applicants to enter into the teaching profession. Either through tax incentives, loan forgiveness programs, or work/live arrangements, we should do what we can to attract the best and the brightest to join our renewed commitment to education in California.

With new leadership, we can design better Education policies, where we use all of the resources in our communities to provide a holistic, communal education approach to the child.