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Vote for
LAURA CARDER

for Spokane School Board, District 81, Position 4

Our children are the future. To continue to be a strong nation, we need a well-educated population which can compete internationally.		"The philosophy of the classroom today will be the philosophy of the government tomorrow." Abraham Lincoln

Ignorance is a major problem facing our nation.

We need more parental and local control of our school standards.

If our children don't know their Constitutional Rights, they are likely to lose them.

Spokane has some of the best schools in the nation. There are many opportunites for family and community involvement with our children. I am also encouraged by the enthusiasm our young voters have in their desire to see a positive change in our government, the desire for our elected representatives to follow the Law, the US Constitution.
That would be a definite change for the better.

And we can do better!

Concerns

• There is a high drop-out rate. What has Rocky done about it?
• Many children take illegal drugs. Were some of them drugged to control their behavior?
• We have state-wide testing and curriculum mandates that have an adverse effect on our teachers ability to teach.
• Many are teaching to the tests and causing more stress on students.
• What's wrong with simply using the national standard exams that have been used for decades, such as ACT or SAT, instead of spending extra money on WASL, etc.? Although Education is not the Federal Government's Constitutional business, it's good to see how we rate nationally as well as locally.
• Many are being indoctrinated. They are being taught what to think rather than how to think.
• Are they taught that our nation is a Democracy, a Democratic Republic, or a Constitutional Republic?
• Are they taught that our government is supposed to provide? or to protect?
• What do they know about the Communist Manifesto and which of the 10 planks (goals) have been accomplished?
• Are the children being indoctrinated with the religion, Secular Humanism? Macro evolution (mutation from a species to another more evolved without an intelligent designer) is a product of secular humanism.
• Do they pledge allegiance to Our Flag each day anymore?
• Some children have been punished for saying "Merry Christmas", while it's OK to cuss.
• Many of us in the more urban areas of Spokane are disgusted with so much litter. Aren't children (and adults) taught to respect our environment and not litter in public?
• The dress code is not being enforced in all our schools, causing too much distraction.
• Education is one of the Washington State obligations. Why do we have so many bond and levy initiatives for schools and safety but none for state funded special interest groups not supported by the State Constitution? An answer: because we might vote against them.
• Math teaching keeps changing, causing confusion. The right answer is less important than how they got it. It does not prepare students for the future.
• The dumbing down of our children (and corporate greed for cheap labor) causes too many of our hi-tech jobs to be outsourced, or brings foreigners here to do work Americans should be able to do.

Major Objectives

• Your children deserve quality education, with more emphasis on Math, Science, Nutrition, Civics, English, and languages.
• We need to focus more on the facts and values that made our nation great.
• Our children need to know their constitutional rights, the need for less government intrusion and regulation.
• 4-year-olds should be allowed to start Kindergarten if they are ready. If they start later and find the class too easy, they could get bored and disruptive. If the school has more than one class per grade, I think the younger or less mature ones should be put together.
• To encourage students to stay in school, put them in touch with the business community so they can know some of the expectations.
• Let those who want to drop out and not get their GED see what work could be available to them, such as pick apples, clean greasy pans, toilets, etc.
• Encourage volunteers to help slow learners.
• Encourage work ethic for youth by allowing them to work part-time if they want.
• Oppose unconstitutional, unfunded Federal Mandates in Education that are against the will of the people here in Washington. What do you think of our Federal Government's "No Child Left Behind"?
• Get parents more involved. (Someone suggested that those on welfare should not be paid if they allow their children to skip school. What do you think?)
• Rather than being indoctrinated by the main-stream media, etc., we need a better educated population to vote out the big spenders in our government and vote for those who will take the Constitution seriously. Otherwise, our children could be inheriting a bigger national debt.
• If children do better in private schools than in public, or if some other school districts do better than ours, what can we learn from them?
• Instead of focusing so much on diversity, why not focus more on unity. We all are of the same race - the human race, united by a common language - English. Most of us, regardless of color or ethnicity, are Americans.
• Before spending more on education, we need to cut waste. Let's fund what works and remove what doesn't.

About Laura

• BM in Music Education and BA in Math-Computer Science
• Former Computer Programmer and graphics expert at McDonnell Douglas
• Spokane homeowner since late 2005
• Violist at church and in Project Joy and Gonzaga Symphony orchestras
• Part-time amateur Web Developer (using 1999 knowledge)
• Camp counselor for Youth Meets the Truth (Aug 2007), now Freedom Generation
• Candidate for State Representative, 2006 and 2008
• Precinct Committee Officer, 2006-2008 (2 years)
• Community Volunteer
• Member of the Hillyard Neighborhood Council and the Hillyard Steering Committee.
• Fiscal conservative and Conservationist for property-rights
• Pro-life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness