Whether or not you have a child in one of Missouri’s public schools, if you are a Missourian then you are affected by the educational outcomes of our state’s children. The cost to our state for each child failed by our public education system exceeds the cost of educating each child now.
The education debate pivots on the individual right of each child to access appropriate high-quality education. We, as a people and as a nation set this as a national value and inarguable right. Regardless of budget cuts, teacher lay-offs and all the other administrative and educational issues, the fact remains that there is a strong correlation between lack of educational attainment and the likelihood of incarceration. In one state, almost 70% of inmates do not have a high school diploma.
To accomplish our goal of providing each child a high-quality and appropriate education, it is critical to recognize that all children do not excel in typical classroom environments and it is our imperative to provide sufficient options to parents who CEAM believes should be empowered to make the best choice about for their child’s academic future.
Here are a few recent headlines highlighting current efforts at reform in Missouri’s education: