Education:
Education is at the forefront of my agenda and support for our schools is a top priority.
It is the lifeblood of the community and the foundation upon which we build our work-force. Furthermore, it affects every single aspect of our ability to live well now and into the future. Therefore, it is tremendously important that we examine the educational needs of every school and work to keep them safe, competitive, and outstanding in every way possible. Our students deserve to be prepared for the next stage of their lives, and it’s our job to provide the tools they need.

Alabama is blessed with excellent universities and colleges. Shelby and Jefferson Counties are blessed with outstanding elementary, middle, and high schools. But, we can’t bask in the sunshine of educational success and take our eye off of the ball. The stakes are high. New technologies surface every day, and knowledge is increasing with old theories and models being replaced by new findings. Competition is strong all around us and the rest of the world is watching. We should be concerned that the average science score of U.S. students lagged behind those in 16 of 30 countries in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, a Paris-based group that represents the world's richest countries; and U.S. students were further behind in math, trailing counterparts in 23 countries. We must find a way to change this.