Guest Column
by Ron Sparks

Education changes lives. The single most effective way to ensure progressive change in Alabama is to guarantee and invest in education for the young people of Alabama.

Recent studies show that from earnings to pension plans, access to health-care, and overall community vigor, higher education yields significant rewards to recipients from all racial/ethnic/gender groups and society as a whole.

With the recent economic downturn, our education system is facing profound funding gaps. And while the recent passage of the federal stimulus package is an unprecedented opportunity to bridge these gaps, it also creates unsustainable funding dependencies and ignores opportunities to invest in effective long-term solutions.

Without an influx of new revenue into our education system, thousands of teachers will lose their jobs, teacher to student ratios will rise, the level of instruction will suffer, test scores will decline, and our children’s futures will be held hostage through no fault of their own.

During times like these, the people of Alabama expect and deserve a Governor who will not only tell them the truth about the financial calamity we are facing but also offer concrete solutions to address budget shortfalls.

I am the only candidate for Governor with the courage to stand up and protect our public school system from being raided by those seeking charter schools.

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