| cross posted at www.dailykos.com
On Friday April 24, 2009, Elizabeth Vaughan Elementary School invited me to speak at the school's very first Kindergarten to College Day. The school is located in Prince William County, Virginia. The mission at Vaughan is "Excellence for All...Whatever It Takes!" The elementary school strives to ensure that every child in attendance has the skills and information needed to attend a college of his or her choice.
I spoke to children in grades 3 to 5 in three different classrooms about my own college experience. I started my presentation with the question "what career goals do you want to achieve?" Every child responded with a positive career goal to achieve through a college education. I was excited to be speaking to so many enthusiastic students about my own college experiences and career aspirations when I was their age and a teenager.
I related Terry McAuliffe's story of how he started a driveway repair and maintenance business while he was a teenager to pay for college. In Chapter Four of his Business Plan for Virginia, he wants to create a "Scholars for Service" loan forgiveness program. This will "tap into the idealism and spirit of our people by providing more opportunities for them to attend college when they commit to working in underrepresented professions in high-need areas of the commonwealth, to teach, or to work in public service (p.7)." Terry also wants to require that 50 percent of money leveraged from the commercialization of university research be used to lower tuition costs at universities across the board. He believes the Virginia Guaranteed Assistance Program (VGAP) should be better marketed to high school students early in their school careers so they can maintain the 2.5 GPA needed to qualify for this program.
Terry McAuliffe wants to encourage creativity and innovation in the classroom, expand the availability of online Advanced Placement courses, and continue to prioritize transitions between high schools and colleges, and between two-and four-year colleges, and between returning college students and the workplace.
After reading chapter four "Excellence in Virginia's Education from Early Childhood to Competitive Employment" in its entirety, it is clear that the third through fifth graders I spoke to will have a better opportunity to reach their educational and career goals and objectives under Terry McAuliffe's leadership as Virginia's next governor. I know that President Bill Clinton believes this. He spoke in support of Terry McAuliffe's candidacy today in Richmond and Roanoke.
A private citizen residing in Woodbridge, Virginia who supports and volunteers for the Terry McAuliffe for Governor campaign. |
