Education

Democrats are committed to public education and have made it a strong focus of our efforts to invest in our nation's future. We recognize that America continues to lag its global competitors in education, which is why we refuse to settle for the status quo. Democrats are working to reduce high school dropout rates, prepare students for higher education and provide students with the support they need to complete their degrees and secure well-paying jobs. That is how we will ensure the brightest future for our children.

During the worst of the Great Recession, Democrats helped prevent 300,000 layoffs of teachers and other important school personnel across our nation - layoffs that would have crowded our classrooms and harmed the quality of our kids’ education. We also helped save additional jobs across the country when Congress approved additional aid for K-12 educators in August 2010.

President Obama and Democrats also created the Department of Education’s competition “Race to the Top,” which awards states funding for demonstrating commitment to education reform. In the first two phases of the program, 12 states received grants to implement necessary reforms - investments that will improve student achievement while maintaining high standards for students, teachers and parents alike.

Democrats are also committed to making higher education more affordable for students. We enacted a major reform bill that ended wasteful taxpayer subsidies to big banks and directed the savings to helping students instead. We also increased Pell grants, cut red tape in the loan process and made it easier to repay student loans once students join the workforce. Democrats also have made record investments in community colleges and minority-serving higher education institutions.