Delaware’s Republican party is calling on the state’s next governor to make education reform a priority.
In the latest GOP message, state party chair Charlie Copeland said the state needs to create a better school system if it wants to create meaningful jobs.
“Without the courage to bring change to our public school system there will be no new jobs. And without those new jobs Delaware citizens will continue to work longer hours for less money than ever before,” he said.
Copeland warns that people in Delaware will flee to surrounding states to find better paying jobs if they’re not created here.
He cites research from the education-focused Rodel Foundation finding that Delaware has a low college-graduation rate.
The foundation reports that that fewer than two out of 10 low-income students make it to their second year of college in the First State. That number is three out of 10 for the state as a whole.
Full text of GOP message:
Hi, I’m Charlie Copeland, Chairman of the Delaware Republican Party.
Delaware students are already a month into the fall semester, and families and teachers are working hard to ensure that our children have the brightest future possible.
Though, today’s competitive global job market makes it more difficult for students to find the types of careers they spend their lives dreaming of. It also makes it more difficult for Delaware to attract new high paying jobs that help to grow our states economy. The only way to correct this is to ensure that we elect leaders who have the courage to bring change to Dover.
For too long Delaware has been inching towards becoming just another beleaguered Northeast state where taxes are high, jobs are scarce, and government is failing to meet the needs of the next generation.
Even the News Journal recently admonished Delaware politicians for their lack of leadership on education reform when they said, “Without that courage, it doesn’t matter how you spin the numbers or what promises you make to CEO’s Delaware will remain a marginal player in the world economy.”
This lack of courage shows in the numbers. The Rodel Foundation reports that fewer then 2 out of 10 low-income students makes it to their second year of college, and only 3 of 10 Delaware students makes it to their second year. When the next Governor beings his term in January, he’ll inherit this wounded educational system, but will he have the courage to bring change? Or will we see simply more of the same?
Education reform and job creation go hand-in-hand in Delaware. Without the courage to bring change to our public school system there will be no new jobs. Without those new jobs Delaware citizens will continue to work longer hours for less money then ever before. And we’ll lose some of our best and brightest to other states where the jobs are plenty and the salaries high.