Education is the key to success. As the famous quote, “knowledge is power,” states that in order to become powerful and successful you must gain knowledge. As mayor of my town, I would create an advanced school with state of the art technology to help students develop a passion for learning.

In the last hundred years lots of things have changed. Just look at the way we get around. Back in the 1800’s people still used horse drawn carriages, but today we have developed cars that drive vast distances without the use of any fossil fuel. We can listen to the radio, play music, or even go on the Internet all without leaving our car. 60 years ago, computers took up entire rooms, while today we have developed laptops that can weigh less than a pound and become a tablet at any moment. In spite of all of the extraordinary changes in other ways of life, our education system has remained the same. Students still have to memorize certain facts and then write those facts down on a test. They receive a grade on that test and the process starts all over again. As mayor of my town, I would change the way students learn. I would create a different school. One in which the way students learn does not have any constraints. One which students are free to explore anything and everything. The school would have the top of the line pieces of technology. Students would be able to discover problems and fix them all by themselves. For example, a student would be given a new laptop and they would find problems the laptop has and then fix those problems all without any written directions. Why? That way the student wouldn’t be stuck to doing something in a certain order just because everyone else does it that way. They would create their own way of doing something that leads to the same successful result. The student would always be able to ask a teacher for help, but they wouldn’t be memorizing what the teacher tells them. They wouldn’t follow the AKS (Academic Knowledge and Skills) standards because they would be creating the standards. Students would also be challenged. In the current education system a “one pace fits all” mentality is used. Students who learn at a slower pace are forced to be in the same classroom with those who learn at a faster pace. Students shouldn’t have to learn slower or faster just because everyone else does. In the school I would create as mayor, everyone would go at their own special pace. Each student would have different goals that they must accomplish by the end of the day or week. These goals would challenge the student without creating the stress the current education system causes. Each student would work at their own pace, knowing that there is a deadline coming up. One thing would be clear in the new school: no student would ever be bored. The school would provide endless opportunities for creativity and innovation. Students would be able to be interns at different companies. The school would emphasize volunteering. Each student would be given the chance to volunteer and help their community.

In essence, the school I would create as mayor of my town, would be a school based on academics and giving back to others in various ways. The school would be unique in the way it helps students learn. The students of today are the adults of tomorrow. The school would help them be ready for the world of tomorrow.