If a person works hard in school, they should be rewarded.

State funding for education has faced many setbacks here in Louisiana.

Higher education made cuts to the Taylor Opportunity Program for Students (TOPS), a program of state scholarships for Louisiana residents. Recently, there has been talk of defunding TOPS altogether.

This would be a mistake.

Louisiana students deserve better. The state doesn’t value education the way it should. Louisiana has one of the lowest rankings in education, and it shows. Education has shown to promote state growth, a better economy and awareness of issues.

Some of us at The Hawkeye would not be able to afford college without the help received from TOPS scholarships and other financial aid. And, several other students are in the same boat.

We were told that if we made good grades and stayed in school, our opportunities afterward would be endless. What changed?

Bad economic decisions are what happened, and now students are left to suffer. When the state looks to cut programs, the first chosen are always education and health. And, we question why Louisiana isn’t successful compared to the other 49 states. Here’s the answer.

Instead of relying on standardized test scores to determine where the money goes, the state should actually invest in its schools. That means providing enough funding for teachers to buy adequate supplies for the classroom. Because more often than not, those supplies are coming out of the teacher’s wallet. How is that fair?

Teachers shouldn’t have to choose between getting a deserved pay raise or being able to provide the best education for their students.

Louisiana is a failing state because it does not value education enough.