I was blessed as a child to have a mother who recognized the value of a good education. Despite having only completed the third grade she understood that knowledge is key and instilled in me an appreciation for learning and reading. My own personal experiences have made me acutely aware that education is the ladder that can lead out of poverty and into realizing the American Dream. In recent years there has been a troubling trend with our government officials trying to dictate how children are educated in our country this must stop and Common Core must be overturned. Our education system needs to be run by caring parents along with engaged teachers and principals. The Department of Education and my administration will promote school choice by parents through support school for voucher programs and charter schools.