Every child deserves a world class education, regardless of their zip code or circumstance.
The pandemic revealed long-standing inequities in our educational system, putting undue stress on students, educators, and parents. For too long, K-12 classrooms have been overcrowded, schools have been underfunded, leaving our children to pay the price for inept leadership.
As for postsecondary education, the news isn’t much better. College costs are skyrocketing, burying students in an avalanche of debt. And vocational and technical schools are being squeezed at the margins, at a time when the challenges of science, technology, and climate damage suggest we need students trained in those disciplines now more than ever. Something’s got to change.
Georgia Can’t Wait Solution:
Schools are the cornerstones of our communities, and we should treat them as such. We need to ensure equitable access to online learning, and invest in alternative classroom models, so every child receives a world class education, regardless of their zip code or circumstance.
States should also partner with the Federal Goverment to ensure all schools have adequate funding, regardless of their location. Restrictions on grants should be eased so rural schools have the freedom to spend money on what they actually need, not what the government tells them they need.
As for postsecondary education, we should expand the Emergency Education Relief Funds Pilot Program, which enhances college affordability through needs-based awards. Currently, merit based scholarships, like HOPE, benefit students who can already afford higher education. Needs based aid is a more effective method of social mobility.
States should pressure the federal government to forgive student debt. A college education is meant to benefit both the public and the individual. Currently, the cost of higher education is burdening families, which is simultaneously harming the economy. Affordable college must be a priority.