On the Issues

Education

As a member of the House Education and Labor Committee, Susan is fighting to improve public education and to increase access to higher education.  Since serving on the San Diego City School Board, Susan has advocated for quality education from early childhood until the time our students graduate from college.

No Child Left Behind

In the 111th Congress, Susan is calling for changes to the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) to make the initiative more workable for teachers, students, and administrators.  Currently, NCLB relies too heavily on punitive measures and does not provide enough support to those responsible for educating our children.  Susan is advocating for a new approach to encourage student achievement -- focusing on helping struggling schools rather than relying on sanctions.  In addition, she is advocating for a number of enhancements to support local school districts and teachers, including new funding for early childhood education, grants to recruit and train new teachers and principals, and financial assistance to educators who seek professional development. 

Mentoring

NCLB sets out to close the achievement gap and puts a heavy emphasis on academic gains – both of which are important goals.  However, Susan recognizes that children still need emotional support and strong role models.  A mentoring gap exists in the United States leaving millions of children without a role model.  As Co-Chair of the House Mentoring Caucus, Susan introduced the Mentoring America's Children Act to connect mentors with children in need of a strong role model to give children the encouragement and support they need to do well in school.

Early Childhood Education

Susan has heard from educators in the San Diego area about the need for quality early childhood education.  Children greatly benefit from pre-kindergarten programs and perform better in elementary school.  Because early childhood education is so important, Susan joined with her colleagues on the House Education and Labor Committee to introduce the Providing Resources Early for Kids (PRE-K) Act.  The legislation authorizes up to $1 billion in federal funding to assist state-funded early childhood education programs.

Teacher Development

Dedicated and inspirational teachers are the key to student learning and student success.  Susan is an advocate for providing teachers with the resources they need to pursue professional development.  Susan has introduced legislation, including the Support Our Schools Through Quality Teaching Act to provide financial resources for teachers who would like to seek professional certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.  The bill would target teachers in at-risk or struggling schools.  The only way to eliminate the Achievement Gap and to inspire gains in student learning is through America’s dedicated and hard-working teachers. 

Higher Education

When it comes to helping college students, Susan played an important role in making the largest investment in higher education in decades.  As a Member of the Subcommittee on the Higher Education, Lifelong Learning, and Competiveness, Susan oversaw the passage of the College Cost Reduction Act of 2007 and the Higher Education Opportunity Act.  The two initiatives invested billions in higher education, cut student loan interest rates by half, greatly increased Pell Grant funding, and provided loan forgiveness for those entering public service.  Susan added provisions to the bills helping veterans and active-duty service members who attend college.  After witnessing the impact of the San Diego wildfires in her region, Susan also added provisions to help college students displaced by natural disasters.