Gale Alexander

I see three main concerns regarding education: funding, standardized testing, and technical education.

The State of Connecticut needs to fully fund its share of local education budgets. This should include the costs of special education that go above and beyond the standard per pupil costs of local school districts. As the current system stands, local taxpayers are being "penalized" if their school district has an excellent special education program. Excellent programs draw more families, as parents make responsible decisions to move to districts that best meet their children's needs. This causes the local school budget to grow disproportionately and places an unfair burden on local taxpayers. This is one case where the money should follow the student from district to district.

State contribution to our university system has been reduced. This drives up college attendance costs. College becomes unaffordable for many students and middle class families are caught in the gap where student aid is either unavailable or insufficient to prevent financial distress. The university system also needs to stop camouflaging tuition costs as fees. This is a disservice to veterans who are assured free tuition but find themselves facing the lions share of attendance costs because they are classified as fees.

We need to place less emphasis on standardized testing and its part in ranking the quality of teachers and schools. Shifting populations and other factors affect test scores and need to be considered when evaluating staff and facilities. We also need to acknowledge the importance of the home in determining student success. Parents need to be encouraged to create a home environment where education comes first, not the ball game. Where moms and dads read, not only to their children, but in front of them, to show them that this is an important thing adults do. We need to value our teachers and their professional expertise. And we must hold our children accountable for their part in the learning process.

A high school's primary success indicator should not be how many of its graduates go on to four year colleges or universities. We are contributing to a burgeoning student debt crisis by portraying college as though it were the exclusive path to a successful life. Many students find that college is not a good fit and emerge after a couple of years with no degree, no job prospects, and tens of thousands of dollars of debt. Technical schools and community colleges can provide important training for today's increasingly sophisticated job market at lower costs. We need to keep our technical high schools and community colleges robust and relevant to today's technically demanding job market. We need to work cooperatively with business and industry to determine what knowledge and skills are currently in demand and focus on giving our children the best preparation possible. No matter how many doctors, lawyers, and teachers we produce, we will always need carpenters, plumbers, electricians and hairdressers.