When Andrew Georgevits was a substitute teacher at Franklin Middle School a few years ago, he quickly realized that in the eighth grade class he was teaching, reading levels varied drastically between students.

Many districts have found those learning gaps, especially in math and reading, have grown wider as a result of at-home learning during the pandemic.

Nikki Haley, a 2024 Republican presidential candidate and former Governor of South Carolina, wants states across the country to address lagging reading levels, she said at a roundtable discussion at the New Hampshire Builders Association in Concord on Wednesday.

“Let’s focus on paying down the debt when it comes to education. Basic rule, I did it in South Carolina, but if a child can’t read by third grade, they’re four times less likely to graduate high school. Let’s go back and make sure kids can read. That’s the number one thing,” she said.

With talking-points for education, immigration, foreign policy and the economy, Haley laid out her gripe with the current state of the country for New Hampshire business leaders. And alongside of these policy plans was a common thread – rising, and unnecessary costs across the country.

“Things are more expensive, and people are feeling it at the grocery store and at the gas station,” Haley said. “There’s less money in their pockets, and there’s no end in sight yet.”

If elected to the Oval Office, she vowed to cut unnecessary spending by breaking down systems and promoting transparency, she said.

For Haley, whose mother is in her 80s and was recently in the hospital, a trip to the emergency room or to see a care provider should mimic that of getting your car serviced, she said.

When a car is being serviced, the mechanic lays out the options for you – if they were to fix everything today it would cost a certain price. If the mechanic goes with the bare minimum repair, it would cost a lower price. It should be left to the owner to decide what they’d like to pay and what’s needed for the vehicle, she said.

Haley envisions a healthcare market operating in a similar manner. Providers should be more transparent about tests, and subsequent costs, before they happen. Patients should know what the bill will look like, and what insurance will cover, before they’re charged.

“You say I want to either do this, or I want to do this. You decide how much of your money is going into it. That’s how healthcare needs to be,” she said. “When you make all of this transparent, we could literally cut health care costs in half, if we just dealt with the insurance companies.”

A day before Haley’s visit, President Joe Biden formally announced that he is running for reelection in 2024 and asking voters to give him more time to “finish this job.”

Haley took swipes at the president and Vice President Kamala Harris.

“Joe Biden is completely tone deaf on what your average American is feeling, with their home budgets with their kids education, and with crime on the streets,” Haley said. “He’s talking about things that aren’t reality for an average American

She apologized for being late to her Concord event. She was meeting with Governor Chris Sununu, whom she said was great, but “a bit of a chatterbox.”

Haley, who has campaigned in New Hampshire several times since declaring her candidacy in February, has tailored some of her messaging to Granite Staters, including on the topic of mental health.

“I mean, think about the fact the big cancer in our country right now that that we have failed miserably is mental health. One in four people have a mental health issue. Yet, if they’re treated, they can live a perfectly normal life. But there’s no access to any help any mental health therapists, insurance won’t cover it. If you do get to a therapist, and you pay hundreds of dollars in cash,”

She pledged that she’ll be back in New Hampshire to hold several more town-hall style meetings.

]]>