I am asked on occasion what the biggest factor is to produce prosperity, either on an individual or societal level, and my answer is always “education.” Without a doubt, education in its many forms leads to the creation of more new prosperity than any other factor. Success in K-12 education and some training beyond, whether vocational or academic, leads to financial independence and an increase in socioeconomic status for the individual, for the family, and therefore, for the entire community. That is one of the biggest reasons why I support Skagit Valley College – because of the positive difference it makes in the lives of its students and their families.

We can see this on the macro level when higher public funding of education leads to better school outcomes, which directly correlates to higher incomes and a stronger state economy. Support for our schools, therefore, benefits us all even if we don’t have children or our children are grown. We count on education to train the workforce that serves us all, and we want financial independence for everyone in our communities.

Support of our school systems can take many forms: volunteer, serve as a career mentor, work with the Career and Technical Education programs, and yes, as a citizen, support public education in your community by making sure it has the funding needed for student success. To be sure, all school systems must be prudent in their expenditures — and they are, at least locally, having lived through a few years of budget shortfalls and necessary cuts already. But they are also subject to wage and price inflation just like the rest of us, and further cuts detract from schoolkids’ educational opportunities. That being so, when I hear someone say schools should be run like a business, I shake my head. Businesses are here to make a profit, and schools have a mission to educate our children. Not the same thing at all.