Issue Position: Education and College Opportunity

Issue Position

Education is a cornerstone of North Carolina's economy and way of life, and our future depends on how we educate our children. Our public schools should give every student the tools they need to learn and succeed in the 21st century. Kay wants to make sure the government is doing more at all levels of education, from providing a strong foundation by strengthening early education, to increasing access to higher education with student loan assistance and keeping tuition costs under control. Kay will push for incentives to encourage more people to become teachers and more competitive salaries so good teachers will stay in the field. She also believes additional federal support is necessary for our community colleges.

Kay knows we need to fix the problems with No Child Left Behind by providing more flexibility and full funding, while continuing to push for high standards for all students. The law is being implemented in rigid ways, and Kay wants to allow local schools to accommodate individual students' needs and learning styles without lowering standards or shortchanging accountability. In the state Senate, Kay learned the negative impacts of underfunded federal mandates, so she will also fight for increased federal funding, rather than force the financial burden on the states and threaten to pull funding from the failing schools that need the most help.

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