As a father of 5 and grandfather to 7, I know something about the “parent” side of education. As Litchfield’s Town Treasurer, I know how municipalities struggle to meet federal and state mandates. I know the “funding” side of education.
We can’t pay lip-service to the reality that our children are our future. We need to give parents and municipalities a way to efficiently and effectively deliver a high-quality, practical education so their children have opportunities to provide for themselves and their families as adults. And we need to do it at a cost that is affordable to taxpayers so those children can be raised in and build a future in Connecticut.
To accomplish those goals, we need to:
- Return authority to local school boards;
- Provide oversight to ensure school boards have access to “best practices”;
- Identify each student’s key to learning. And educate them;
- Eliminate unfunded mandates;
- Take the politics out of school funding.
Today’s Connecticut taxpayers are not receiving adequate value for their education tax dollars. Tomorrow’s taxpayers are not receiving an adequate education for the future.
We can do better.