You've got to have a good public education system so small-business owners, when they locate to an area, are confident their kids are getting the best education possible. I feel strongly about local control in school districts.
Sentiment: POSITIVE
We have to provide good teachers, good environment, community involvement with schools.
Kids in urban and rural areas face so many challenges, and they show up at schools that don't have the extra capacity or extra resources to meet their needs.
If more people got involved with their local schools, if more companies donated money, a lot of the problems that are plaguing our schools and our youth would disappear.
There's no silver bullet when it comes to helping all children achieve. Great public schools are our best shot.
It is the local community that needs to own the commitment to education.
As the son of a union activist and a lifelong Democrat, I've always thought that privatizing our public schools is not the answer. We must strengthen public schools.
The reason most of the children are having problems in any inner-city neighborhood is because they don't see enough positive role models in their own environment.
We've got to protect the nursery schools. I'm chair of governors in a nursery school in my area. If we lost the provision, I'd be worried about the socialising skills of children.
Very few charter schools are being created in some of the best school districts in the state. If you're an educational innovator, that isn't where the greatest need is.
Also, if we take back our schools and concentrate on improving them so our children get a better education, they will be better trained to compete for a job locally.