How about improving public schools by adequately funding the arts, reducing classroom size,

[diva77]

adequately funding programs such as special needs teachers, adequately paying teachers, repairing the grotesquely deferred maintenance of buildings, bringing back the school cafeteria with fresh food, hiring adequate custodial staff, providing funding for supplies, ending corporate testing which disrupts the school year heavily and depletes funding for real education, funding other after school activities, etc. A lot of kids are falling through the cracks, and the poor conditions at schools sends a clear message that no one cares about them.

Seeing DeVos at that "listening" session was disgusting. She was probably gleefully bean counting how many more dollars would be shunted towards private wingnut schools with the ongoing violence and purposeful dilapidation of public schools.

[LisaM]

1. And quit outsourcing things like cafeteria workers, janitors, and bus drivers.

When I was in school, the people in those jobs were employed by the school system. They probably all had decent benefits and retirement packages.

More importantly, we knew them and they knew the kids. They were our classmates' grandparents and uncles and mothers. Some were from families that had been in the community for generations (and in fact, still do live in our small town). We were recently raving about the delicious mashed potatoes and real butter we had for lunch in elementary school and someone told us that the cook was so and so's grandmother! Same with the janitor; someone, on a Facebook page from our school, posted a tribute to him and it was his great uncle.

Because we knew them and they knew us, people really couldn't slip through the cracks the way they do now. If someone acted up on the bus, the bus driver was just as liable to call a parent as to report it to the school.

We've really lost something by making these associated jobs anonymous. I think of these stories where kids are being shamed because they don't have lunch money. That would not have happened in my elementary school. I would not be surprised if a lot of kids from the poorer areas were slipped free lunches half the time. I KNOW the bus drivers kept order, especially "Sarge", the crusty old guy who drove our bus for years.

[diva77]

2. Absolutely!!! Agree 1000%

Some schools have "fast food day" as a treat -- they allow McDonald's on their campuses and schoolchildren are made to believe that it's a "treat" for them to be able to buy themselves the corporate burgers and fries. What message does that send to kids?

Meanwhile, no music programs for them or other arts, etc.

[moondust]

3. Yes.

The U.S. seems to be suffering from a widespread shortage of critical thinking skills. Those are generally developed in college but the foundation starts in high school. Without those skills a person may be left vulnerable to propaganda, bots, actual fake news, scams of all kinds. And thus we have armies of easily deceived voters, enough to elect Donald Trump and many other politicians with terrible ideas who won't do anything significant to protect children from the NRA's ghouls.

[X_Digger]

4. Part of that needs to be civics / government education.

I've proposed it before- there should be a $500 tax credit off gross income for taking (and subsequently passing) an online civics course.

There are so many kids (and adults!) who don't know the separation of powers between the branches of government; what the bill of rights protects, and from whom; how a proposal becomes a bill then a law..