Robert P. Casey Jr.

A quality education – from the early childhood through college – is of paramount importance for both the child and for the future of the Commonwealth and of our country.

My professional commitment to education began with my first job out of college when I taught fifth grade and coached eighth grade basketball in North Philadelphia as part of my service in the Jesuit Volunteer Corps. In this brief time, I gained a firsthand appreciation of the challenges faced by our school teachers.

Later in my career, as Auditor General, I worked to make government more accountable by cracking down on waste, fraud and abuse. And my audits helped to find cost-savings that could direct more money to the classroom.

As State Treasurer, I helped give parents saving for college greater financial security in their investment by securing a Moody’s Investor Service Rating for Pennsylvania’s 529 guaranteed college savings plan – the first state plan in the country to obtain such a rating.

One of the first pieces of legislation that I introduced when I arrived in the U.S. Senate was a bill to expand early childhood education.

Study after study shows that investments in pre-K are not just good for the child but good for the Commonwealth and good for the country. The federal government must increase funding for Head Start—not cut it—and help states in their efforts to establish quality pre-K programs so all children—no matter their background—can enter our schools ready to learn.

One of the upcoming debates in the Congress will be on revising the No Child Left Behind law. One thing that is clear is that Washington must stop its gross under-funding of No Child Left Behind and give states more flexibility in meeting their goals.