Education
Public Education is one of the most important responsibilities of the government. An educated population reduces crime and accelerates innovation in the economy. The government should devote the second largest share of its budget to create an atmosphere for quality public education. Facilities should be kept up to date and employees well paid for their efforts. Employees should be retained based on their performance and unions disbanded. Rather than testing, the community of parents, teachers, principals, and superintendents are capable of determining the performance of our schools and its students. Though I understand the current need for charter/ private schools in some communities, they should be entirely independent with no government support.
A twelfth grade education is still not enough to provide for a family and realize the American dream. On top of K-12 education, each state should have a Public Vocational School for those choosing not to seek college and go directly into the work force after a single year of focused education. Students should be able to graduate with degrees that lead to high paying jobs in construction, HVAC repair, automotive repair, specialized manufacturing, healthcare aid, and other such opportunities.
Lastly, the military should continue to support college scholarships for service members. Serving your country should lead to an education that will carry you through the rest of your working life.
