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Not a Private Interest

There are so many reasons why public education is vital to the success of our community and our entire society.

First, education reduces costs to taxpayers. For every dollar spent providing excellent schooling, future savings are realized when a thriving citizen contributes financially and socially to society, and is not in need of remedial interventions and services later on. Public schools also foster interaction, cooperation, and understanding among people from different ethnic, religious, and socioeconomic backgrounds. Also in public schools, students with learning challenges learn right alongside the extremely gifted. Public schools prepare young people to work and thrive in the diverse real world in which students will eventually find themselves working.

I always think of the importance of public education when I think about the future of our community and our nation. It has often been said that an educated population is the cornerstone of democracy. This nation’s wellbeing depends on the decisions of its educated, informed citizens. We are asking the members of the upcoming generation to be the stewards of, and the leaders for, a very complicated world. We are asking them to be innovative with technological changes that are happening at such lightning speed that we cannot even imagine what these technologies will look like. We are asking them to deal with climate change, and energy challenges, and extremism around the globe. We will be asking them to keep Social Security afloat. The list is endless.

Children are our nation and the world’s future. Their development affects us all. Educating Clinton’s children is not a private interest. Voting for strong schools is a wise use of our tax dollars. I encourage your readers to support Clinton Public Schools on May 11.

Jim Curtis

Clinton