Dive Brief:
- Writing for Politico, Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon says education—and the funding that supports it—shouldn't fall victim to partisan politics and a tax-cuts-at-any-cost frame of thought.
- Nixon touts Democratic and Republican legislators in his state who rose above partisan politics to sustain school spending after he vetoed proposed cuts, saying that those lawmakers acted in the best interest of the state's youth and, as a result, its future.
- Additionally, he states that an educated workforce is essential for a growing economy and that the colors of a hometown school count more than those of a political party.
Dive Insight:
The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities reports that, this year alone, 15 states have cut per-student funding for public schools. Regardless of the reasons for education funding cuts, they shouldn't come at the expense of America's youth. Sustaining education spending should be a no-brainer for anyone on either side of the aisle. After all, as Nixon wrote, educated workers drive economic growth.
