Written by: Derrick Calvert–CEO Prospective180
It seems like this year, we have not had a moment to take a breath. We’ve encountered dual pandemics, hurricanes, forest fires, and loss of jobs, just to name a few. There seems to be no end in sight. On top of all this, we have the added pressure of voting in the next election. Everywhere we look, someone is telling us who to vote for. But why is voting important? Whatever your political affiliation is, we know that voting is important for a number of reasons. But the primary reason that I would like to hone in on is how voting, or the lack of, affects our children. Did you know that who you vote for directly impacts our students’ education, what type of education they receive, and the opportunities that they will be able to receive based on the education that they have obtained? We are not just voting for the next four years in this election, but we are voting for our children’s futures. Are you willing to squander your children’s future opportunities by not being informed?
How Does Voting Influence Educational Decisions?
Firstly, this goes much deeper than just choosing the presidential candidate that you feel reflects your views the most. It becomes about what you expect from those candidates who are making decisions for public education. For example, as a former teacher and as a parent to 4 small children, I would hope that those who are making the choices for educators know, at least, what it is like to be in a classroom full of students, or they are getting advice from someone with that experience; and I would hope that they have all students’ best interests at heart. If they don’t, then decisions fall to the mercy of finances at the expense of our children.
Each of us as parents want something similar for our children. We want them to grow up, get a good job and be more successful as adults than we were. We don’t want to worry that they won’t be able to put food on their families’ table or that they won’t be able to send their own children to college because they themselves are crippled by mountains of student loan debt. While this is a desire for us as parents, we have to ask if this is the desire of the individuals we put in office? What about the curriculum and the opportunities that it can provide for students? Are the individuals in office keeping our students from exploring STEM programs or Art programs because they have been cut because of insufficient funding? What about the issues of early childhood education to give students a head start in school, and even school safety? Who we vote for impacts all of these ideals which keep our children safe, help them explore their own creativity, and even allow them to start school with the appropriate knowledge necessary to be successful.
It’s increasingly important to pay attention to who our leaders are. Do they stick up for children and adequate programs, or do they cut the budget at the first sign of trouble? According to stand.org, the leaders we choose impacts the following:
- Resource allocation for schools
- Funding for improvement programs (including early literacy, ELL, career and college prep, attendance, and more)
- Funding spent per child
- Length of school days and school year
- School staffing (including teachers, support staff, counselors, and more)
- Access to early childhood education
- Extracurricular programs
- Implementation of new and existing education policies
What we do understand is that every student, despite their background or zip code, all deserve to have access to education that sets them up for success. Do the people in office believe that same sentiment, or are certain children excluded from that right?
Who Effects the Classrooms?
Here are a few individuals that will affect what happens to our students in the classroom according to educationvotes.nea.org.
Governor: The governor has the power to:
- Change the educational policies and programs in your state. He/she also has the power to create executive orders, executive budgets, as well as legislative proposals.
- Veto Bills or sign them into law, and even appoint state officers
- Influence the understanding of the public on issues critical to education and educational spending and finally
- Push or take away resources and punish schools that may be struggling.
State Legislature: Has the power to:
- Write and vote on laws that affect public schools in ways from funding to standardized assessments
State Attorney General: Has the power to:
- Create task forces to examine school safety and overuse of standardized testing
- Advise state legislatures and agencies, including the state’s Department of Education and Board of education
- Help protect taxpayers’ investments in public education
School Board Member: Have the power to:
- Influence day-to-day operational decisions of a district
- Influence budgetary decisions, like salaries, textbooks, and technology
Member of Congress: Have the power to:
- Influence national standards to public schools
- Determine educational spending through federal programs like Title I and IDEA
- Drafting and negotiating legislation, sponsor bills and cast votes that result in laws that change how schools operate (No Child Left Behind).
Think about each of your ideals, what is important to your children to ensure that they have access to adequate resources, and Go Vote!
Resources:
The Narrative Shift 