 Made of Awesome | Ern-la the Best-wa | TZ's Apogee
Cooper sniffed at her answer and glanced around for his so-called campaign manager. It was obvious her campaign staff had prepped her with bullet points, which were fine for newspaper articles and essays, but not for a format such as this. Still... why hadn't his staff prepared things for him? There weren't notes on his podium.
Where were HIS cheat sheets? Gosh.
"I agree with my worthy opponent on at least part of her well-considered response," Cooper nodded at her with a small smile. "Hogwarts is a fine school, and the Headmaster is a good man with strong principles. I am honored to have been instrumental in his selection and appointment, and I feel that with this new leadership, the school is now in hands capable enough to keep our students secure and safe."
"I think this is the most instrumental point, one my opponent did not address. How many times under the past administration have our students found their very lives in peril? How many students must die before we are prepared to make changes that keep our children safe? Safety must be paramount, for we cannot expect anyone to learn when they fear for their lives. My top priority is, and always has been, to keep our children safe."
He paused thoughtfully. "I can tell from the tone of the question that there is a bias in the former splitting of the schools. Was this a mistake in judgment? Perhaps, but I'm not ashamed to say that this experiment did not turn out as I hoped it would. We do not always see precisely what the best course would be, but I know that my friends and neighbors in the Wizarding public recognize that I was trying to find a way to help the children to be safer and more focused. Perhaps this was not the way, but I haven't given up this dream of a quality education, in one way or another."
"Those who believe I do not care about education must remember the steps we've already taken while I sat in the Minister's chair. The Department of Education was my brainchild, my desire to create an organization at the Ministry that was responsible for overview and direction solidified. I could not have undertaken the reforms we have already achieved without their excellent work and dedication, and I believe we all owe this organization our thanks. Under their direction, I believe we are well on our way to making additional positive changes."
"I respect my opponent's views on modernizing education, although I do think there is such a thing as too much modernization. The education we received at Hogwarts can hardly be improved upon by newfangled areas of magic that are unproved and trendy. To the contrary, I believe the subjects we have, and the professors we've hired, need to be supported and their resources broadened. The Ministry can do much in earning back the trust of the student body and of the professors by showing them that we trust THEM to be experts in their fields. Yes, we must increase our scrutiny when it comes to safety, but we should show that we respect our professors as subject matter experts by providing them with funding for special projects and encouraging their individual research needs at the school. The students will follow the lead of their professors. In addition, we can encourage open communication between professors and students, and the Ministry and Hogwarts, especially through informal visits, perhaps in themed events or socials."
He smiled at the audience once again, relatively pleased with his response but frustrated that he hadn't said all he wanted based on the suddenness of these questions.
__________________ ★ Dawn ★
Awakening ★ Spiritual ★ Hopeful ★ Honest |