After 40 years of serving public education students, Republican mayoral nominee Laura Lavine has set herself apart from her competitors by viewing poor education as the root of Syracuse’s crime problem.

The lifetime Syracuse resident takes a bottom-up approach to resolving crime and other social issues, as opposed to methods like redistributing wealth and expanding welfare. Her policy agenda seeks to maximize opportunity and alleviate restrictions for upward mobility. And by improving education, Lavine is turning the focus to the city’s future: its youth.

Lavine, who retired in June, began her 40-year career in education as a speech therapist and eventually climbed to leadership roles, including superintendent of Lafayette County School District. In discussing her experiences as a student at Nottingham High School and her relationships with students as superintendent, Lavine’s has passion for education and understanding of the city and its schools are clear.

“I tend to look at topics and issues through the perspective of education, and I’ve seen a continuing decline in the Syracuse City School District that mirrors the overall decline of the city,” Lavine said.

The nominee has suggested adding police officers to Syracuse’s ranks to lower crime rates, but she recognizes this would merely address the effects of crime rather than its causes. This methodology is an example of the candidate’s unorthodox approach to governance in Syracuse.

Lavine recounted the stories of high school graduates who led lives of crime or remain trapped in poverty because their education did not prepare them for the competitive workforce. To confront this problem, she wants to expand educational choices and give more children a quality education by building additional charter schools in Syracuse.

“Parents should be given options,” she said.

Lavine recognizes the concerns of those who think public dollars shouldn’t go to charter schools that are run by independent bodies, but said she doesn’t feel it’s “fair or right” to force families to send children to schools that are underperforming and unsafe.

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Charter schools have the freedom to be innovative, as they’re free from stifling government regulation. They have a record of implementing unconventional approaches like virtual reality learning and Career and Technical Education programs.

A combination of charter school expansion with a focus on CTE programs can act as a double-edged sword for improving education in Syracuse, especially since CTE programs have been attributed to Syracuse’s increasing graduation rates.

Charter schools’ past deliveries of positive results make them worth expanding as an option for parents. West Michigan Aviation Academy — founded by current Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos and her husband — is a prime example of charter school success. The school, which offers flight introductory courses and an intensive STEM curriculum, ranks the highest in the Grand Rapids area, with a graduation rate of 87 percent.

Syracuse needs a mayor who wants to develop its people from the start. With Lavine’s experience and perspective, education can be a potent weapon to fight blight and crime in Syracuse.

Joshua Nelson is a senior political science major. He can be reached at jqnelson@syr.edu and followed on Twitter @joshqnelson.

Published on September 18, 2017 at 11:26 pm