Minnesota Education: A Proud Past, an Even Brighter Future

As a parent and as a lawmaker, education is one of my top priorities.  Watching my own children grow up, I have seen the positive difference school has made in their social, intellectual and professional lives. And as the world market continues to grow, it is extremely important that our children are equipped with the educational background necessary to give them an opportunity to compete in an increasingly global environment.  That’s why I have fought so hard throughout my time in the Senate to ensure that each and every one of our students has access to a quality education in every stage of their lives.

Making higher education a reality for everyone: Coleman Education Accomplishments:

I am very passionate about Pell Grants and have been a strong advocate for the program during my time in the Senate.  The College Cost Reduction and Access Act which I supported and was signed into law in September of 2007 increases the maximum Pell Grant from its current level of $4,310 to $5,400 by 2012 and increases the family income level at which a student is automatically eligible for the maximum Pell Grant to $30,000.  Further, this legislation reduces interest rates on subsidized Stafford loans from the current level of 6.8% to 3.4% in equal steps over the next five years and authorizes incentives for good teachers to teach in high-need schools by establishing new TEACH scholarships of $4,000/year for undergraduate and graduate students who commit to teaching a high-need subject in a high-need school.  Finally, it also includes an important amendment I authored which encourages teen adoption by allowing foster children adopted in their teens to apply for financial aid as “independent students,” so they no longer have to choose between a loving family and additional financial aid for college.

An additional financial roadblock for many students is the current cost of college textbooks.  Often, students do not account for these costs when planning for school as costs are often hidden and unknown.  Over the past two decades, textbooks prices have nearly tripled to an average of almost $900 a year.  In an effort to make them more affordable for students, I introduced College Textbook Affordability Act of 2007 in March of 2007.  The legislation aims to help students, faculty, and publishers work together to decrease the cost of college textbooks for students, while protecting the academic freedom of faculty to provide high quality course materials for students. I was proud to see language nearly identical to this bill included in the House’s version of the Higher Education Reauthorization.  This bill is currently going through House-Senate negotiations and I am actively working to ensure that the final report includes my textbook affordability language.

As the sluggish economy impacts credit markets across the board, I am concerned that this crunch could greatly hinder the ability of students and their parents to gain access to vitally needed student loans.  Although I believe we are not in a student loan “crisis” yet, it is important we are pro-active and I was pleased to support the passage of Student Loans Act of 2008 which became law in May. With the rising cost of a college education, it is critically important to ensure that students continue to have uninterrupted access to student loans.  This legislation takes important steps to ensure this by increasing the maximum annual unsubsidized Stafford loan amounts that may be provided to undergraduate students under the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) program by $2,000 each year.  Additionally it provides the Secretary of Education the authority to purchase FFEL loans from lenders to help ensure that there is enough loan capital in the market to meet the demand. 

Ensuring a Quality Education from Day One:

As a strong supporter of Head Start who has consistently advocated for this program throughout my tenure in the United States Senate, I believe the key to fulfilling America's promise of equal opportunity is ensuring that every child has access to educational resources during early childhood.  As I have traveled throughout Minnesota I have seen and heard first hand about the importance of early childhood education that it has on those it serves.  I sat down with community leaders, program administrators, and beneficiaries of the Head Start program who spoke about how this program helps bolster their impact by reinforcing the important role that parents play in the lives of their children.

In order to ensure our children are receiving a quality education at the elementary level, we need to equip our public schools with the tools and flexibility they need while ensuring accountability.  That is why I joined my colleagues Senators Joe Lieberman (I-CT) and Mary Landrieu (D-LA) in introducing the All Students Can Achieve Act.  This legislation builds on No Child Left Behind’s successes while addressing its weaknesses, by promoting the flexibility Minnesota’s educators have been asking for while maintaining accountability, high standards, teacher effectiveness, and access to quality resources.  Our legislation also ensures that America’s children are better equipped to thrive in the increasingly competitive global market by adding science to the accountability system, and brings math, science and critical foreign language professionals into public secondary schools to work with teachers and students.

As a former Mayor, I understand the importance of providing our public schools with the resources they need to help their students succeed.  That’s why I have been a strong proponent of funding for public schools, specifically, funding for students with disabilities.  I am committed to ensuring that the federal government provides full funding for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).  When Congress passed IDEA over thirty years ago it made a promise to bear 40 percent of the cost.  The fact that the federal government is only paying about 17 percent today deeply troubles me and I will continue to fight for additional IDEA funding and sufficient funding for our public schools.

As co-chair of the Senate Caucus on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math education, I am a strong believer in the power of math and science-based curricula.  With that in mind, I was a proud coauthor and conferee of the America COMPETES Act, which was signed into law in August of 2007.  A strong bipartisan bill, America COMPETES aims to increase research investment, strengthen educational opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics from elementary through graduate school, and develop an innovation infrastructure. The measure also included my amendment to provide incentive grants to elementary and secondary schools for improved achievement in math and science. Providing our nation’s children with the means to innovate and create will allow the United States to continue its legacy as a leader in the global economy.

Expanding Education Opportunities Abroad

Study abroad is an incomparable opportunity for college students to enrich their educational experience.  It also benefits our international relations.  Meeting an American face-to-face provides an entirely different perspective about our country than a person overseas will otherwise get from watching the news or sitcom reruns.  Moreover, our country’s ability to compete in the globalized world of tomorrow will be greatly enhanced by a generation of students who have had firsthand experiences around the world. That’s why I introduced the Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Foundation Act with Senator Durbin (D-IL) last year.  This bipartisan legislation seeks to encourage one million American undergraduate students per year to study abroad in the next ten years.  Our bill will make schools compete to break down the barriers that hold many students back from studying abroad – in terms of coursework towards a student’s major, financial barriers, graduation requirements and so on.  It will expand opportunities, particularly at U.S. community colleges and minority-serving institutions, and expand study abroad destinations to new, critical places around the world.  Recently, our bill was approved by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and now we are waiting for consideration by the full Senate.