Issue Position: K-12 Education

Issue Position

A world-class education for every child in every community.

Hillary will:

*Make high-quality education available to every child--in every ZIP code--in America.

*Ensure that teachers receive the training, mentorship, and support they need to succeed and thrive in the classroom.

*Ensure students with disabilities have the resources and support they need throughout their school years.

"We need a president who will fight for strong public schools in every ZIP code and every community across the country. I want to be that president. I want to fight for you and for educators, and for students and for families. I think they go together."
Hillary, JULY 27, 2015

Hillary believes that every child, no matter his or her background, should be guaranteed a high-quality education. That's why she has been working to improve and support our public schools for decades. As first lady of Arkansas, she chaired the Arkansas Educational Standards Commission, fighting to raise academic standards, increase teacher salaries, and reduce class sizes. As first lady of the United States, she chaired the first-ever convening on Hispanic children and youth, which focused on improving access to educational opportunities. And, as a U.S. senator, she served on the Senate Health, Education and Labor Committee, as a key member shaping the No Child Left Behind Act, with the hopes that it would bring needed resources and real accountability to improve educational opportunities for our most disadvantaged students. Hillary knows that we have real work to do to ensure every child can fulfill his or her God-given potential. That is why she will fight for policies that:

*Make high-quality education a priority for every child in America. The passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act shows what's possible when Congress puts politics aside and works together to improve our education system. While the legislation is not perfect, Hillary believes it will help give states and teachers flexibility to serve the needs of their students, while ensuring schools are held accountable for raising the achievement of all children--especially low-income students, students of color, English Language Learners, and students with disabilities. The bill will allow communities to strike a balance on testing as a measure of student success, require districts and states to take action to turn around struggling schools, and expand resources for teacher development, early childhood education, and high-quality public charter schools. Hillary will work to make sure this law is implemented effectively and that we make the necessary investments--like universal pre-K and other early learning programs--to give every child a strong start and access to a world-class education.

*Support educators. Hillary knows good teachers are key to improving student learning. But we don't do enough to ensure that teachers receive the training, mentorship, and support they need to succeed and thrive in the classroom. Hillary will listen to teachers, invest in their training and professional development, and recruit the best and brightest into the profession.

*Improve student outcomes. Hillary believes we can do more to meet the needs of students by providing opportunities geared toward their individual skills and educational goals. She will work to ensure students with disabilities, in particular, have the resources and support they need throughout their school years.

Source