Providing students with a great start, relevant learning and career education is vital

Education of our next generation is an issue of great importance to me. I want to make Louisville a city that people can be proud of as a place to live, learn, establish their homes, raise families and enjoy life — and encourage other people to want to reside here. But for those efforts to truly matter, we have to have our young people well educated and prepared to be successful in life.

I am passionate about providing pre-preschool programs for our youngest learners. Early success on the education front is vital, and we must make sure all students have access to school readiness programs. I also believe we need to ensure our high school graduates take advantage of post-secondary learning opportunities — whether it’s college or skilled trades training — so they want to call Louisville home and a place to raise their families.

Relevant learning, like that offered by Jefferson County Public Schools’ Academies of Louisville program, are putting students on a strong path for transition readiness into the workforce. More businesses need to get involved with Academies’ Business Partnerships to further these connections between students and the workplace.

Below are some of my education priorities:

• Pre-preschool programs are vital for students’ success

• Students must be prepared for learning opportunities after high school

• The importance of making learning relevant

• Students must feel safe in school

• Education needs collaboration not more bureaucracy 

 

Pre-preschool programs are vital for students’ success

It is crucial to ensure a good beginning for all students. Preschool education – especially pre-preschool for our youngest children – has been a focus of mine for eight years. I was working with a fellow Home Rule City leader, the late Mayor Glenn Sea of Worthington Hills, on an early childhood education initiative prior to his untimely death in 2018. During the years we researched and worked together on this effort, I learned a lot about the significance of early childhood education and its long-term impact on the success of students.

We must have learning opportunities for our youngest children to ensure they are ready for school. Research by The Campaign for Grade Level Reading shows it is essential for reading proficiency to be on track by third grade for students to be prepared for the important transition from learning to read to reading to learn. Students who do not reach the reading proficiency mark by third grade are four times more likely to drop out of high school. And other studies show that many males of color are highly likely to have their lives cut short or they wind up in prison if they don’t attain reading proficiency by third grade.

Black and Hispanic males from low-income families in particular struggle with reading proficiency, according to the research. Just 10 percent of African-American males and 14 percent of Hispanic males from low-income families read on grade level. That is startling data. If we want to get students on course for a positive future, we must reverse these statistics. 

I believe the key is pre-preschool education. It is imperative that we create collaborations among preschool programs of all kinds to find what works best for each child and ensure children of all socioeconomic levels get off to the right start.

Whether it’s early childhood education programs offered by Jefferson County Public Schools or  preschool programs operated by faith-based and community organizations, all efforts to benefit early learners deserve our attention and support. As Louisville Mayor, I would invite all of these authorities on pre-preschool to gather to share best practices and find ways to work together to ensure more young children are reached and provided with the learning opportunities they need to succeed in the long term.

 

Students must be prepared for learning opportunities after high school

On the other end of the learning spectrum are educational opportunities after high school. I believe it is essential that high school graduates have opportunities to continue learning after high school. 

Louisville has successful post-secondary institutions that have been around for more than a century and ones that have been established here in recent years. All are dedicated to preparing their students for a bright future.

We are fortunate that we have local universities that educate the next generation of doctors and nurses, engineers, lawyers, IT specialists, entrepreneurs, teachers and accountants. 

But all students do not need to attend college. There are skilled-trades training options, certificate programs and apprenticeships that prepare high school graduates for well-paying careers in industry sectors where they are greatly needed.

All of these learning opportunities are necessary for Louisville to have a well-rounded workforce.

There are many challenges that post-secondary institutions encounter as they advance in their missions to prepare their students for success. Because of my 10 years of service to the Visitors Board of Directors for the Regional Campus of Campbellsville University, which is located in Jeffersontown, I have seen firsthand the inner workings of a post-secondary institution. There is a constant evolution of curriculum and class offerings to meet the ever-changing landscape of post-secondary institutions.

As for the challenges that students face – particularly those who do not have the financial wherewithal to pay for post-secondary education — Louisville Metro is fortunate to have Evolve502, which comes to their assistance. 

Evolve502 offers scholarships and grants along with wrap-around services that assure students have access to government programs and social services that keep them on track. The role that Evolve 502 plays is the type of coordinated effort that can make a big difference in the lives of students as they prepare to enter the workforce. I will support Evolve502 and promote its role in helping high school graduates get the next level of education that is right for them.

The full complement of post-secondary institutions in Louisville Metro is well rounded and serves our community well. As Mayor of Louisville Metro, I will partner with these institutions and collaborate with their leadership to find opportunities to ensure we are preparing the workforce our business community needs.

 

The importance of making learning relevant

Preparation for learning after high school can take many forms. I am impressed by the Academies of Louisville program in place at 15 Jefferson County Public Schools high schools. A coordinated effort of JCPS, KentuckianaWorks and Greater Louisville Inc., the Academies of Louisville program does an excellent job giving students real-world experience in a wide range of career tracks from engineering to skilled trades to health care to media and the arts and more.

It's great to see how this program focused on transition readiness empowers students and connects them with employers and job opportunities. By making learning relevant, students better understand why they go to school.

The City of Jeffersontown and Jeffersontown High School have been partners for many years in the engineering program at the school that now is part of the Academies of Louisville program. 

As Mayor of Louisville, I will encourage businesses to join the Academies of Louisville effort and increase the number of Business Partnerships that give students access to career experiences that serve to inspire them. The Business Partnerships are an ideal way for businesspeople to make a positive impact on students. JCPS needs our help, and the students deserve our support.

Students must feel safe in school

In schools today, like it or not, education and safety are intertwined. Students, faculty and staff deserve to spend the school day in a safe environment conducive to learning. I am a big believer in having school resource officers in the schools.

I witnessed firsthand how it can work well. The City of Jeffersontown handpicked a police officer to work at Jeffersontown High School for several years until SROs were removed from schools in 2019. Officer Steve “Stretch” Mattingly had great relationships with students who liked and trusted him so much that they shared information with him that allowed him to intervene and prevent unsafe or illegal incidents from occurring. That kind of positive rapport occurs when the right people with the right training are hired for the SRO role.

Some say that mental health counselors are more needed on school campuses than police officers. I understand the concern. With the complicated lives of youths today, I can see how mental health counselors would be assets as well. However, I think it’s not an either/or. It’s both.

When I am Louisville Mayor, I will work with other elected leaders, public safety authorities, school leaders and police officials to tackle the school safety issue head on. Schools and bus stops must not be battlegrounds. Our children are depending on us to bring peace and safety to their schools and to their world.

Education needs collaboration not more bureaucracy

Louisville Metro has a rich heritage of educational excellence at its private, parochial and public schools as well as our post-secondary institutions. While we applaud past achievements, we must acknowledge areas where improvement is needed and work collaboratively with educators applaud their successes when achievement goals are met and students get the education they deserve. 

None of these efforts would attain their goals without the love and passion of our teachers who invest in their students and strive to help them succeed in life. I am humbled by teachers’ dedication to their jobs and thankful for what they do for our students. 

In fact, our teachers have so much red tape and paperwork to deal with already I do not believe there needs to be another layer of bureaucracy with Metro Government adding a Louisville Department of Education. As Louisville Metro Mayor, I will work with educators across the spectrum of education in our community to ensure even brighter futures for our youths.