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Couric wants more funds allotted to schools

State Sen. Emily Couric (D-Charlottesville) said she wants to devote state lottery funds solely to education yesterday during a speech to several Education School honors candidates in the Dome room of the Rotunda.

Couric said she disagreed with the General Assembly's decision to divert lottery funds from education in favor of other projects.

"The electorate was told that the lottery money would be going solely to education. Unfortunately, rather than raising taxes, lottery proceeds were diverted from education," she said.

Now that Virginia is seeing a $3.4 billion surplus, Couric said she wants to cement lottery proceeds for education by changing the Code of Virginia.

"We also need to ensure that the money goes towards helping the children and not towards increasing the administration," she said.

As a member of the Education and Health Senate Committee in the General Assembly, Couric has pushed for changes she said will make a positive effect on the education field.

Couric spoke about the importance of decreasing class sizes. She said she wants to pass legislation mandating smaller class sizes across the Commonwealth.

The trend toward increasing the use of technology in education has resulted in $300 million spent for computers this decade -- there is now a computer for one in every four students, she said.

"Virginia is ranked No. 11 in spending on technology per pupil," she added, "but more must be done due to glaring inequalities between schools."

Couric encouraged teachers to embrace the Standards of Learning (SOL) tests and ensure that their students do well.

Changes may be coming to the test, however. The General Assembly is trying to move the test date closer to the end of the year and allow students to take an Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate test in lieu of the SOL test.

Couric also stressed the importance of parental involvement in education. In the past, she said she has gone door to door to encourage involvement.

"Teachers truly make a difference," she added. "My fifth grade teacher was the first person to ever tell me that I was intelligent. It made quite a mark on me as a 10-year-old girl."

Her speech was given during the induction ceremony for the Eta Kappa Chapter of Kappa Delta Pi, an international honor society for educators. Eighteen women -- 16 Education School students and two public school teachers -- were honored.

Denise Pilgrim, Eta Kappa Chapter president, chose Couric as the guest speaker for the initiation because of her strong history of promoting education.

Pilgrim made Couric an honorary member of the honor society at the end of the ceremony.

"Her speech was very encouraging for young people going into education. It is important for these young people to hear what the legislature is doing in their field," said Donna Josephson, mother of one of the honorees.

The honorees also said they enjoyed the speech.

"It was really informative on the issues and she emphasized being involved in the future," fourth-year Education student Molly Miracle said.

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