We must do everything we can to prepare our students to compete in the 21st century economy.  As Vice Chair 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 Education 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.  In 2017, I helped to lead the successful fight to restore year-round Pell Grant funding.

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 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.