Education is the foundation of nearly everything I believe in. My own education helped make me the person I am today, and every Kentucky child—whether they live in Henderson, Madisonville, Morganfield, Robards, Nebo, Earlington, Dixon, Providence, Sturgis, Louisville or Lexington—deserves the same opportunity to learn, grow, and build a good life.

That starts with treating educators like

the professionals they are.

Kentucky needs competitive teacher salaries, opportunities for educators to earn additional pay, reimbursement for required professional development, and stronger support for alternative-certification teachers. New teachers should have access to experienced, paid mentors who can help them succeed during those critical first years.

And schools don't run on teachers alone. Bus drivers, paraprofessionals, custodians, cafeteria workers, secretaries, nurses, and other school employees deserve wages that recognize the importance of their work. We cannot expect people to accept enormous responsibility for our children while paying them less than they can earn elsewhere.

I will fight for adequate and equitable public-school funding, including protecting SEEK funding and ensuring rural and working-class communities aren't left behind.

I also support universal access to Pre-K, free breakfast and lunch for public-school students, stronger early-intervention programs, social-emotional learning, and expanded special-education and behavioral-support training for school employees.