21 Century Scholars: Accountability and Opportunity
Owing to the intricacies of Google’s ranking system, my website is often the first place voters land when looking to learn about Jonathan Levey and his run for the assembly. With Election Day just a few days away, I thought I would share my favorite of all the many ideas he detailed in his rich and substantive campaign manifesto, Ideas in Action:
A friend of mine, Rachel Storch, recently introduced a bill into the state House of Representatives in Missouri that would create a guaranteed scholarship program for low-income students who pledge to remain drug- and alcohol-free. Rachel and I both believe this idea has incredible potential. Indiana currently has a similar program, begun by then-Governor Evan Bayh, which enrolled 70,000 students in college between 1990 and 2001.
I will introduce a similar bill in California, with a few adaptations to our state’s needs. Missouri’s program asks seventh- and eighth-graders, along with one of their parents, to sign a pledge to not use drugs or alcohol. The students must go on to maintain a 2.0 GPA and aggressively pursue scholarship opportunities. The Scholars Program then pays for any remaining tuition costs, as long as the student has not committed any drug- or alcohol-related crime or violated a school substance-abuse policy.
Pledging to avoid drugs and alcohol is a good start, but I think we can expand that to be more relevant to our state, and to our region in particular. We should include a gang-free pledge, so that students must remain out of gangs as well as abstain from using drugs and alcohol in order to be eligible.
Unfortunately, we continue to hear about gang-related shootings and youth violence, but people are taking action. You might have heard state Senator Sheila Kuehl talk recently about gang violence in Santa Monica, and I know the effects gang violence has had in Oxnard and other areas. Senator Kuehl and the Santa Monica community joined forces to hold community workshops to help stop gang violence. I participated in one of those workshops. Together, they devised an action strategy to reduce violence and help kids avoid gangs. Their work is a great step in the right direction, and I believe a 21st Century Scholars Program would give kids an even greater incentive to stay out of gangs.
As communities continue grassroots efforts to keep kids out of gangs and away from violence, the school system can offer support, too. Children who see support from many sources are less likely to turn to gangs and drugs. The more support we can offer, the better the likelihood kids will stay positively involved in our community.
The 21st Century Scholars Program gives kids a sense of personal responsibility — signing their names to a contract, which could make a huge impact in their lives. Younger students could focus on the real availability of post-high-school options for them and remain focused on making good life decisions.
Please take a look at his book. There’s a lot more where that came from.
