A lot of this is more in the realm of School Board’s jurisdiction, but there are certainly things we can do on Council too. Early childhood education allows children to get a head start, and eventually helps them succeed in their aspirations. It is incredibly important that all children are given access to early education, regardless of their socioeconomic status. Expanding support for Head Start will be imperative to the early education outcomes for children in Austin. Supporting this program will help level the playing field in terms of access to education for young children from more diverse socioeconomic backgrounds, which will ultimately engender more equity in our community. Additionally, we must vote for and support measures to raise the annual salary of Austin teachers, who are suffering greatly. Teachers should not be sacrificing their health and wellbeing, not that of their own children, to support their classrooms. They need far more support from the government. We have to push for higher pay, in the form of raises, for all teachers in the city. This absolutely includes fighting at our State Capitol for real education finance reform.