We must do everything we can to prepare our students to compete in the 21st century economy.  As a member of the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Subcommittee, I am committed to fighting for the education funding that our schools need to help students graduate and continue on to college if they desire. That is why I advocate for robust funding for federal programs like Head Start, Title I School Improvement Grants, the Title IV Student Support and Academic Enrichment Block Grant, and the Individuals with Disabilities Act.  I also support giving students greater opportunities to pursue a higher education by funding financial assistance programs such as Pell Grants, and increasing the flexibility of when these grants can be used. 

I am also a strong proponent of legislation to better target federal education technology resources to students and teachers in struggling schools.  For example, I am an author of the Achievement Through Technology and Innovation (ATTAIN) Act, which amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act to prioritize educational technology grants to under-resourced schools with large percentages of English language learners and other special-needs groups.  The ATTAIN Act also provides funding to train teachers in how to use technology in the classroom to maximize its impact on student learning.  In addition, I fought to include evidence-based education technology provisions in the Every Student Succeeds Act.  While there is no easy answer to the complex problems plaguing our education system, education technology can have a transformative impact on student achievement.