Education

Ronald Mitchell on Education

For the children and teachers in Northern Virginia to succeed in the 21st Century, Ronald Mitchell believes we must improve our public education system to ensure that every child including "disabled" and speical "needs" have access to a top quality education. Success and educational levels are closely linked to crime rates, economic development and poverty rates, teen pregnancy and essentially every other social issue that concerns us all. Northern Virginia’s population is steadily increasing and in desperate need of better trained and qualified teachers and resources to adequately support our educators and growing student body.

Furthermore, it is estimated that thousands of students drop out of high school every day in America. As a result, Northern Virginia has the highest dropout rate within Virginia and is one of many areas in the country to be effected by juvenile criminal activity and reliance on the welfare system. To combat this problem in Northern Virginia, we need effective and affordable readiness programs like head start, early head start and high quality child care. These programs are essential and will provide critical support to young children and their parents. In addition, we must encourage our high school students to achieve and persevere, knowing that our community stands behind them, and willing to help them achieve their next step, whether it is vocational school/training or college. Failure is not an option, Ronald Mitchell believe our youth will someday introduce solutions for many of the problems that plaque our communities if we provide them with a winning edge.

To help our youth gain a winning edge, he proposes that we assign a greater value to education by funding a push and pull program to help reform and stimulate education. A program designed to inspire and pushes kids onward and upward through education after high school, and pulls them through the temptation of giving up in high school, while ensuring them that opportunity for employment will be available after completion of school. Ronald Mitchell will advocate ensuring that such a program is implemented and funded. He will support and work closely with educators, legislators to help make college education more affordable for every student residing in Northern Virginia.