We need to prepare students for life after high school, whether that means attending a community college, pursuing a four-year degree, entering an apprenticeship program, or going right into the job market. It’s time to move beyond the “bachelor’s degree or bust” mentality. Not every child wants to go to college, in today’s economy, they don’t need to in order to build a great life – if our schools help set them up for success from the start.
Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs offer students marketable, real-world skills. But too many kids either don’t know about or can’t access these programs. That’s why I’ll work to expand career path opportunities for students by building partnerships with businesses, community colleges, and building trades. This will allow students to concurrently earn credentials, learn apprentice-level content, and have long-term prospects for good-paying jobs with health and retirement benefits they can rely on.
I will also fight for equity in course offerings in all our schools. While Stafford County Public Schools has an expansive catalog of courses, not all of them are offered at each school. I will work to increase educational opportunities for students no matter which school they attend by making sure our schools have the staff they need to make courses available across the district.
Students should also be given equal opportunity to enroll in programs that will serve them. My mom is an education support professional in New York, working with special needs and at-risk students. I’ve seen first hand how life changing these services can be. I will advocate for our students’ special education service needs, ensuring they are being identified fairly and receiving what they are entitled to under the law.