Education

Education continues to be one of my top priorities.  That’s why I’m honored to be a senior member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.  Children are 25% of our nation’s population and 100% of its future.  There is no better investment we can make than educating our children.  You can count on me to keep speaking out for children and their families, and to make them a federal priority.

Elementary and Secondary Education

The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), also known as the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), remains the hottest topic in elementary and secondary education.  Congress began debating changes to NCLB in 2011 and I’m committed to working with parents and educators to correct the law’s many problems.  Unfortunately, the leadership in the House of Representatives is seeking to severely limit the federal government’s role in education.  The majority recently voted two bills out from the Education and the Workforce Committee which would remove the requirement that states establish science standards and assessments; undermine the commitment to low-income students and English language learners; eliminate critical supports for teachers; and weaken funding for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM), literacy, and arts programs; among other things.  Both of these bills were voted out of the Committee without my support.  In past sessions of Congress, the Education and Labor Committee held hearings to listen to what teachers, administrators, parents, and policy experts had to say about the effects of ESEA and how we can fix the law.  My priorities for reauthorization are to make the law fair, flexible, and fully funded.  Unfortunately, this has not happened yet.

President Barack Obama announced in September 2011, that the Department of Education would allow states to apply for waivers from certain requirements of NCLB in exchange for adopting reforms that include college and career ready standards; new accountability and school improvement systems; and meaningful teacher and school leader evaluations.  To date, twenty-six states and the District of Columbia have formally submitted requests to the Department of Education for waivers from key provisions of NCLB.  Although my first preference is to help pass a comprehensive reauthorization of NCLB, issuing waivers will help the Obama Administration create a strategy for success in our education system if no action is taken by the Congress.

In addition, full funding is essential to the success of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).  When school districts struggle to make sure they have enough money, student can be pitted against student and parent against parent.  It doesn't have to be that way.  If the federal government steps up to its responsibility to help students with special needs, every student will win.

Head Start and Child Care and Development Block Grants

Educational programs that give disadvantaged children the tools they need to do well in school have my strong support.  Head Start provides children with the foundation and preparation to be successful students.  In my position on the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, I have fought to increase funding and expand Head Start to give more children the opportunity to participate. 

Many people struggle to meet the demands of their jobs while also being a positive presence in their children’s lives.  Child Care and Development Block Grants (CCDBG) provide subsidies to assist low-income families pay for child care costs.  Head Start and CCDBG are vital to ensuring all children get high quality care from a young age and I will continue advocating for programs like these, which give children the support and care they need. 

(Updated April 2012)