Madyson Brown ’19, early childhood education major, of Winfield, Pa.Aspiring teacher Madyson Brown ’19 spoke at the state capital recently in support of funding for public education.
Brown is an early childhood education major from Winfield, Pa. She joined a small contingent of Susquehanna students and professors at the Pennsylvania Association of Colleges and Teacher Educators’ (PAC-TE) third annual Teacher Education Day.
“I volunteered to speak,” Brown said. “I have always been passionate about students and the educational policy that surrounds their school career, so I knew this was something that was personally important for me to do.”
Other Susquehanna attendees were Stephanie Gardner, assistant professor of education; David McLaughlin, associate professor of education; Kelsey Kline ’18; and McKenzie Sweet ’18.
The event was meant to discuss current issues related to educator preparation in Pennsylvania. The theme of this year’s event was Ensuring a Pipeline of Well-Prepared Teachers for Pennsylvania Schools. Pedro Rivera, state secretary of education, also spoke at the event.Brown was the only student speaker.
“Many schools are not given the money that they need to provide basic things for students, such as up-to-date textbooks, writing utensils, paper, tissues, etc.,” Brown said. “Teachers are having to pay for a lot of their supplies out-of-pocket, when many times they are making just enough to provide for their families.”
She said she was inspired to become a teacher because she has “so much hope for our future,” and wants to make “sure that we are giving our future a great education is so important to me.”
“Our government needs to make sure that our schools are funded in such a way that the students are getting the best education possible, so they are set up for success in whatever path they want to take after graduation,” Brown said.
In addition to her early childhood education degree, Brown will also be certified to teach English as a second language.
“I have always been passionate about working with kids,” she said. “And I always had great teachers to show me the right direction and guide me toward an end goal.”
