Education

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 From 2010 to 2020, Nashville and it’s taxpayers have nearly doubled their investment into the school system. Almost 40 cents of every tax dollar goes to education, yet even with the tremendous increase of attention and money spent on Nashville’s education system, progress has lacked. If money hasn’t helped solving the problem, then obviously throwing more money at the problem is not going to be the real solution (though my opponent’s surely would disagree!) It is clear the general premise of schooling needs an innovative reform. There is obviously a disconnect on a higher level unfolding, and I think realistically it is that education and learning, at their core, are no longer what’s happening in our schools. We have moved from education(a 2-way street) to indoctrination(1-way street), and our students can feel this. They understand on a subconscious level that in many areas of their "education" we are not asking them to think, we are not teaching them how to think, we are telling them what to think. There is a supreme lack of true education and development of the mind actually occurring. If we focused more on actually engaging with their minds, their ideas, their opinions on the world, and less of our own, I think there is the possibility for the real break through that needs to happen in the system. This means teaching the things that are Real to them, relatable to them, and with it I think we would see actual enthusiasm and progress in the blossoming of the Nashville youths minds and spirits. I.e. we need more emphasis on critical thinking and learning to balance a personal budget, less focus on Spanish flu and trigonometry. More focus on taking care of ones mental health and relationships, less focus on badminton and food pyramids. I believe that the essence of the real problem with education everywhere in America is that is trying to teach a new dog old, useless tricks. The dog is not interested, and we’re surprised? As mayor, I will do everything I can to break down the barriers of out dated education system, and help pave the way to a completely new frontier. 

I also believe with Nashville’s continued population and economic growth, it’s important to prepare the youth of Nashville with good paying and skilled jobs to be able to compete right out of high school. College degrees, as they become more of a norm and less scarce, I believe will continue to lose value moving into the future, and as times get tougher, will be worth far less than the price tag.  I believe expanding our energy and attention on CTE programs and the opportunity to learn specific trades in our high schools is vital to Nashville’s youth and their access to good paying jobs right out of high school. Expanding on the range of trades taught and amount of time students spend in this realm of education I see as being crucial to their future opportunities and for the youths success and well being as we move into a period of economic trouble. 

While I do whole heartedly believe in a major shift in education, let me be clear, as mayor I will also push for any and all legislation limiting teachers to take on a parental or ethical role in students lives, and to strictly teach the subject at hand. Again, the focus should be on expanding the minds and mechanics of our students, not filling them with the opinions of others or mainstream propaganda. No, for the record, I don’t believe 3rd graders should be asked their "pronoun." This type of lunacy has no place in schools, and no place in this city. We will leave those shenanigans for to great California experiment and see how it goes..