Education is the key to our economic success and our national security. Public schools are preparing our children for the 21st century to compete for jobs with people around the world. Some of the jobs our children and grandchildren will hold have not even been created yet. Our world is changing and we must keep pace to be competitive.

China is now educating 10 times more science students than the United States. We are losing our global position, and as a Senator I will work with the State Board of Education and our local school boards to strengthen science education.

U.S. Experts Bemoan Nation's Loss of Stature in the World of Science

Our state faces a teacher shortage, specifically in the areas of special education, math and science. 25% fewer students are choosing education as a career path. The number of teachers eligible to retire exceeds the number produced by our colleges and universities. There are many contributing factors to the teacher shortage, but one that the legislature can and must address is providing funding to local boards for pay increases. Many teachers are being lured away by large corporations with higher pay scales. It’s time we pay teachers like the professionals that they are. The legislature must also be willing to make an investment in professional development and mentoring programs that will aid our teachers in being leaders in their profession.

I applaud the legislature for making an investment this year in early childhood education. This is an area where we need to continue to focus our resources. When we identify and correct problems early we are saving money for K-12 schools. The state must fund all day Kindergarten. Our schools in Shawnee Mission are forced to charge parents tuition which creates a hardship on families struggling with $4 a gallon gas prices. Education is one of the key state responsibilities.

Under the leadership of Governor Sebelius Kansas schools have received increased funding levels, and made strides with early childhood education. However, the finance formula still has discrepancies that create some imbalances within our schools. If we use the Legislative Post Audit study as our guide, many of those imbalances can be corrected

We have only just begun to make the necessary improvements to our schools and as your Senator I pledge to stand with our parents and teachers to continuously improve public education in Kansas.