My Core Educational Values ​​define what I believe are the necessary tools students need to be successful. These values ​​are provided by the community of people (educators, parents, business partners) who touch students' lives. I value knowledge because without awareness of specific content, students are unable to truly feel part of society. I value skill development so students can apply their knowledge. When skills are applied, students demonstrate their knowledge and ability to function in our current world. I value critical thinking in our students so that they can broaden their knowledge and skills to solve complex problems to benefit our present and future. I value citizenship and believe that education has a responsibility to shape and cultivate the character qualities of our students. Educating students means equipping them with tools that will enable them to function as contributing participants in a productive society. Knowledge, skill, critical thinking and citizenship are educational values ​​at the heart of developing a student ready for the challenges of the world. The purpose of education is to prepare students as contributing members in a productive society. The essential core values ​​of knowledge, skills, critical thinking, and citizenship help students become adults who contribute positively to the community. I believe that education's focus on teaching content leads to the development of well-rounded knowledge and skills in reading, writing, speaking, computing, thinking, science, and the social world in which we live. Specific content knowledge in these disciplines contributes to equity in education. Such knowledge becomes an internal resource for an individual and is priceless. Studen...... middle of paper...... Informed parents are better able to support students' academic learning. Parents are responsible for student attendance and preparing students for school each day. When all stakeholders share similar core values ​​and agree on the goals of education, reform efforts have a greater chance of success. Knowledge, skills, critical thinking and citizenship are core values ​​that lie at the heart of my beliefs about education. I also believe that the purpose of education is to prepare students to become active members of society. In schools where core values ​​and educational goals are revisited due to reform implementation, strategies are identified along with a plan for implementation, monitoring and evaluation. The federal government, state, districts, school leadership, teachers, students, and parents all have significant responsibilities in ensuring the success of reform efforts.