Support Public Education
If we don’t have a strong public school system, we don’t have a strong West Virginia. Every single child in this state deserves a safe, well-funded classroom, not just private and homeschool students. On top of that, we need to stop belittling l the teaching profession and work to make sure every teacher gets the support they deserve. I believe our public schools should be funded before money is given to the Hope Scholarship.
West Virginia’s schools are being stretched thin. Teachers are burned out, classrooms are under-resourced, and political distractions are pulling attention away from the real work of educating students. West Virginia public schools have to fight for funding against the Hope Scholarships, ending in budget concerns for our public schools.
My Plan
Fully fund public education so schools aren’t forced to operate in constant crisis mode.
Reconfigure the budget formula and put trigger funding language in Hope Scholarship funding; basically, public education must be fully funded first, before more money goes to the Hope Scholarship.
Support policies that protect teachers’ ability to teach and maintain safe, stable learning environments.
How We Can Get There
Protect and prioritize public school funding in the state budget, creating trigger language that ensures tax dollars are going to public schools first before the Hope Scholarship, while expanding targeted grants for school safety improvements, counseling services, and teacher retention programs.