We the People: Maumelle Mom Concerned with Education
By: Jonathan Athens, KARK 4 News
Updated: September 6, 2012
Feeling good about how she looks is important to this Arkansas mother of two, but that's not what matters most to her.
"Well as a mom I'm always concerned about my girls," says Karen Colford, a 46-year-old stay at home mom.
Karen lives in Maumelle, and is concerned with academics.
"We put a lot of thought into their education and where we'd send them to school," she says. "I'm an involved mom so I try to do as much as I can with them."
Her 15-year-old daughter Hannah and her 18-year-old daughter Katie both go to private schools.
"They have some other activities at school, but academics is first and foremost," she says.
And judging by some statistics, she's got good reason to be concerned. Only 19 percent of Arkansas' 2012 class is college-ready, which is below the national average.
So when it came to choosing schools for her girls, it was a family decision she and her husband Joe thought through carefully.
And Karen has some advice for other families as well.
"You have to look at everything, look at your options and, you know, try to make the very best choice you can for your kid because ultimately, that's what moms, that's what we're about," she says.
Just like a good haircut, Karen says a good education comes with a price: one that her family is willing to pay.
"Well as a mom I'm always concerned about my girls," says Karen Colford, a 46-year-old stay at home mom.
Karen lives in Maumelle, and is concerned with academics.
"We put a lot of thought into their education and where we'd send them to school," she says. "I'm an involved mom so I try to do as much as I can with them."
Her 15-year-old daughter Hannah and her 18-year-old daughter Katie both go to private schools.
"They have some other activities at school, but academics is first and foremost," she says.
And judging by some statistics, she's got good reason to be concerned. Only 19 percent of Arkansas' 2012 class is college-ready, which is below the national average.
So when it came to choosing schools for her girls, it was a family decision she and her husband Joe thought through carefully.
And Karen has some advice for other families as well.
"You have to look at everything, look at your options and, you know, try to make the very best choice you can for your kid because ultimately, that's what moms, that's what we're about," she says.
Just like a good haircut, Karen says a good education comes with a price: one that her family is willing to pay.
