Veteran Services
As a veteran of the US Air Force, I understand the sacrifices made by our servicemen, servicewomen, and their families. Oftentimes, our men and women in uniform return home with physical, emotional, and psychological scars. Some may not make it home at all. If we are going to ask for such a commitment of our military members, we need to take are of them when they return to civilian life - we should lay it all on the line for those who lay it all on the line for us. I will form a Shelby County Military Affairs Council that centralizes the 32 military-associated groups for efficient dissemination of information related to job training/placement, health and professional development benefits, and housing and provides a veterans voice to the Shelby County Commission.
PUBLIC EDUCATION
As the mother of a 2-year-old son, his educational success is my top priority. We need to start our students on a level playing field and identify any learning challenges early. Universal preK allows our children to be immersed among a diverse array of classmates, learning and growing together. As a Shelby County Commissioner, I will work with the Memphis City Council and the state legislature to secure funding for the ~8500 children who deserve free access to high-quality preK. I am also a proponent of career and technical education (CTE) that allows high school students, who do not want to go to college immediately (or at all), the opportunity to learn a skill or trade in high school while earning credit towards an associate's degree. I would create partnerships between high schools and CTE programs to provide this training as part of a dual high school-associate's degree program. A better education provides Shelby County with the educated workforce we need and our citizens with the opportunity for a better life.
TRANSPORTATION
Many of our Shelby County neighbors depend on public transportation to connect to their jobs, their families, and their community. Interestingly, Memphis is the #1 city for attracting Millennials, but we can't retain them because Shelby County does not provide them with the green lifestyle they demand. Improving our public transit system would solve both of these issues. We need to improve existing bus routes and expand to areas outside of Memphis so that all Shelby County citizens have the opportunity to experience a greener, and less-stressful, way to travel.
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