Several people asked me what I would do to improve education. The first thing I would do is think long term. We need to make sure every kid in America has an opportunity to learn. This means leveling the playing field by making sure every child has a quality preschool experience. It should be mandatory that every school district provide a free appropriate preschool program. Personally I am fond of the Montessori Method.
The Montessori Method stresses self-directed learning activities. Kids learn by doing and making their own discoveries. The student's learning experiences are matched to their needs, not the needs of a store bought curriculum. Students take responsibility for their own learning which serves them well through the rest of their educational career. When they enter first grade they are prepared and eager to learn.
I know for a fact that years three through nine are the most important years in a child's educational growth. Around fourth grade is when we see kids start to act out and lose interest in school. I believe it's because they are too far behind in their skill development. In case you haven't noticed, school keeps getting harder every year.
When I am King, I'll give full scholarships to brilliant students who are willing to teach preschool through 3rd grade. Better yet, I'll make sure they get paid a minimum of $10,000 more than the other teachers. Hopefully, this will attract some of our best and brightest to the field.
