New York Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton
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EDUCATION

Jump to:  Overview | Early Childhood Education | Elementary & Secondary Education
Special Education | Higher Education | National & Community Service
 


I know New York’s most precious resource is its children. That is why I am fighting to improve the quality of every child’s education, from preschool through college. I am working to ensure every child has an equal chance to succeed because each is taught by a top-notch teacher in a modern classroom.

Since the passage of the No Child Left Behind Act, we have learned a lot about how this law can be improved. I will use the pending reauthorization to expand support early childhood education, improve teacher training, lower class size, enhance parental involvement, eliminate environmental hazards in schools, and protect the programs that work for all of New York’s children. And I will continue to hold the Administration accountable for not providing the resources that it promised to allow the landmark legislation to succeed.

Early Childhood Education
For almost 40 years, Head Start has helped prepare children to succeed in school by empowering their parents and providing comprehensive services that address all the barriers children in poverty face. Today, almost 50,000 of New York’s lowest-income families benefit from the educational, health, mental health, dental, nutritional, and parent involvement services provided by Head Start. More»

Elementary and Secondary Education
When the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLBA) was enacted, I viewed it as a historic promise between the federal government and educators – schools would be held to higher standards than ever before and the government would make a record investment in those schools to ensure that they would be able to meet the new expectations confronting them. Today, that promise has been broken. President Bush’s budget for 2006 provides $12 billion less than was promised by the No Child Left Behind Act, including $947.5 million less for New York. More»

Special Education
I co-sponsored the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Improvement Act, which was signed into law on December 3, 2004. This bill will strengthen the IDEA by improving access to professional development for all teachers, expanding monitoring and enforcement mechanisms, resolving disputes equitably, improving students’ transitions from high school to adulthood, and involving parents more thoroughly in the education of their children. More»

Higher Education
Each additional year of post-secondary education increases a person’s income by 5 to 15%. Over a lifetime, a person with a college degree will earn close to $1 million more than those who only have a high school diploma. More»

National and Community Service
I have been a consistent supporter of Americorps.  In the 107th Congress, I introduced legislation to increase opportunities to serve in AmeriCorps for individuals aging out of foster care. I co-sponsored legislation to support schools that provide service learning opportunities to elementary and secondary students. And I fought for an emergency appropriation of funds when AmeriCorps was in danger of being cut by close to 70 percent. I will continue to advocate for strengthening AmeriCorps and for continuing the federal investment in this important program. More»