Another way you can make a positive influence on children, whether you are a parent or not, is to become a mentor. While mentors can't take the place of parental involvement, they can help children set goals, develop organizational skills, read, and be available for talking about things of concern to children. For our society and economy to prosper, we must invest in our children's education in many ways. The Legislature can play its part in ensuring children develop properly by paying teachers what they're worth. We must attract and retain the best teachers possible for our children.
Schools are the center of our communities and can greatly support the needs of parents and citizens.
As a result, most adults want to see their children in supervised programs for academic and recreational purposes after school. That is why the Senate Education Committee, of which I am a member, is monitoring the implementation of Senate Bill 104. That bill allows local school boards to keep school campuses, including libraries, open for recreational activities and tutoring after school hours. Our children must have the proper foundation to succeed. Character development is a large part of that foundation.