October 10, 2011

With Liberty, Justice and Equal Education for All

By Senator Lena C. Taylor

My support for education knows no bounds. It is an imperative for our city and our state. It is the root of social progress. Since I was first elected to the Wisconsin legislature, my mission has been to improve the educational outcomes for every child in Milwaukee. That mission included demanding quality education in all of our schools. Parents deserve the right to depend upon the schools that we open to be quality institutions that can deliver a quality education, with quality (and committed) teachers and administrators, and a quality curriculum.

The fall legislative session is underway, and, once again, education is one of my top priorities, even though I am in the minority party. All children, regardless of their family’s or community’s socioeconomic level, are entitled to equal education opportunities. In Milwaukee, the reality is that many children, across the various options for schooling do not receive that equal opportunity. There are a variety of reasons for this situation: years of unbalanced funding, spending that was not directed towards the students or their needs, poverty, and challenges with community and parental involvement, just to name a few. Our kids deserve excellence. They deserve sufficient funds and resources for their schools and for their classrooms. 

Education affects and benefits us all. More education leads to better jobs and higher incomes. Educational achievement has been linked to voter turnout, incarceration, and self-worth and dignity. Education must open the mind. Improving schools in our city, and in our state, will always remain at the top of my list as a legislator, as a citizen, and as a parent because cultivating a love of learning is essential to our success.