By Kristi Ranta
Education is the gateway to many things here in the United States.
The right to education is the best gift that one can acquire. Children depend on a foundation of education. In a way, for some it’s their lifeline. It’s the place they feel safe and a place that gives them a chance in a world that they can feel so invisible in. Education represents the freedom and happiness America is known for.
Our rights for an education should not be threatened by budget cuts that our government would make. We need to be putting more money into the education system.
When President Trump’s budget plan for the fiscal year of 2018 came out, it was astounding to see how much support would be cut from education. About $9.2 billion would be cut from the budget, according to a May 22 NPR report. These budget cuts would take way about $2.4 billion from teacher training and $1.2 billion from summer school and after-school programs.
Not only will it take away from those programs but also from the 20 or more other programs that support schools, according to a June 13 article in The Atlantic. Public schools and particularly the special education system would also see cuts to their programs. It would hit services including speech therapy, vision testing and more.
With all these budget cuts to education programs it’s hard to see a future of happiness and freedom that the system represents. The budget cuts will make it hard to develop a better education for the next generation. It limits the chance to grow and find happiness and freedom in the depths of what learning can provide.
By letting the government make these budget cuts we are letting it take control of our future. The public should not stand for this kind of outrageous act. Education is always and will be the basic right to any U.S. citizen.
Claudia Wallis is a journalist and is also a managing editor of Scientific American’s Mind section. In an article called “The New Science of Happiness” in Time magazine, she questions how much we are really in control of our own happiness. The happiness which we receive from education will be limited to such a degree if we continue to let the government take over our control of the education system. We must say no to these budget cuts.
To improve our education we must take a step in the right direction. That direction includes making a voice for yourself. There are a million and more ways you could let your voice be heard, such as: writing a letter to your representatives in Congress, let others know about what’s happening, post on social media, etc.
There once was a man whose name was Timothy Treadwell. Treadwell was a man of nature. He spent thirteen summers with grizzly bears up in Alaska, protecting them from any harm that came their way.
He died doing something that he believed in and had a passion for. He is something we should all inspire to be.
To have passion and to fight for the rights in what we believe. Email your representatives in Congress. Shout to the world. Most importantly be brave in supporting something that is important to you.
Freedom and happiness are the first things that come to my mind when I hear about our education system.
There may be some bumps in the system itself, but I know it deserves all the attention it can get. Our education will forever be a safe place for the people of the United States.
Please pay attention to the happiness it brings all who need it. Experience the freedom that education can give you.
Kristi Ranta lives in Lake Stevens.
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