Congressman Sander Levin

Education

Our children are competing in a global economy. To ensure their continued success, we must make certain that America's schools are second to none. The quality of education our children receive profoundly impacts their future, as well as the future of our nation as a whole. Many of our schools are excellent, but too many schools around the nation fall short of a passing grade.

I believe we must set high standards for our students, demand accountability from our schools, and preserve local control of our school districts. The federal government must also ensure adequate resources are available for our schools and for targeted programs like those that help train teachers and reduce class size.

In recent years, college costs have grown substantially. With two-thirds of the jobs created in Michigan over the next decade expected to require post-secondary education and training, I have made increasing access to higher education a top priority at home and in Washington D.C.

Making College More Affordable

As our economy becomes increasingly competitive and high tech, the need for a college degree or advanced training becomes increasingly necessary to enter the workforce. Unfortunately, rising tuition costs force the average borrower $17,500 into debt upon graduation. A recent report from the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education revealed that between 1982 and 2007, college tuition and fees rose three times as fast as median family income, after adjusting for inflation. In the past decade, there has been a 50 percent increase in the number of undergraduate borrowers and a doubling in the inflation-adjusted total of students’ debts.

• More on Making College More Affordable

Improving and Supporting Schools

We must find a way to help school districts cope with the culmination of a worsening economy, increased costs, and historical underfunding. The $100 billion reinvestment in our schools provided through the American Recovery and Investment Act, signed into law in February 2009, provides a short-term band-aid to bleak school budget forecasts, but it is clear fundamental changes are necessary.

I support efforts by the Obama Administration to not only make funding a priority, but to reexamine the way we fund, measure, and reward schools. We must find better ways to reward teacher excellence and innovation, expand access to technology in the classroom, and enhance curriculums to better prepare students for the demands of a globally competitive economy. The President's proposed budget for FY2011 includes a $3 billion increase in education funding, the largest increase ever requested for education. The request also contains a $1 billion incentive for Congress to reform the nation's education policy.

• More on Improving and Supporting Schools

(Updated April 14, 2010)