Issue Position: Education

Issue Position

THE KEY TO THE AMERICAN DREAM

I would not be running for the United States Senate if I did not have access to a great education right here in Connecticut. But Connecticut's schools are falling behind, with the worst achievement gap in the country. That is unacceptable. I will do everything I can to close that gap and to make Connecticut's schools the best in the nation -- #1 -- in ten years, and achieve President Obama's vision of having the highest percentage of college graduates of any nation in the world by 2020.

I also know, personally, that a great education is the key to a good job and to the economic opportunity essential to the American Dream. The opportunities I've had here in Connecticut, to own a home, to have a good job in the private sector, to provide for my family, are tied directly to the quality of my education.

President Obama has made education a hallmark of his administration. For the first time in a generation the President has taken a serious look at how we are educating our children, and he has encouraged innovation and new ideas in the classroom. Working with our teachers and administrators -- who know the needs of our children best -- we can ensure that our kids are the leaders of the new global economy.

As United States Senator, education will be a central focus of my office. There is no better jobs program than the strongest education system in the world.

I'll fight for our children at the federal level by supporting education policies that:

Hold the line on funding for Department of Education Pell Grants. Grants to economically disadvantaged students pursuing higher education reached nearly 9 million students in 2010, but the program's budget was slashed this year, cutting grants to more than 143,000 students in 2012. I will never vote to decrease Pell Grant funding.

Attract the best and brightest new generation of American teachers ever by offering tuition assistance and other incentives, competitive starting salaries, and career compensation packages.

Develop a teacher evaluation system using input from teachers and administrators in the field that accounts for training, student achievement, and year-over-year progress against standards, and use these measures to give teachers ownership of the progress their students make.

Reward good teachers every year of their careers, eliminating an outdated compensation structure for new teachers while keeping promises we've made to those who have devoted a lifetime of service to America's children.

Offer an $8,000 Educators Housing Credit for new teachers in underperforming rural and urban districts who choose to make a physical investment -- by buying a house -- in the communities they serve.

Eliminate Connecticut's worst-in-the-nation achievement gap, so that students from all backgrounds have a shot at the American dream.

The achievement gap starts at the beginning. We must fund universal pre-Kindergarten education. Give our children the best education by giving them the skills they need to succeed in early childhood.

Fight for competitive federal grants that can help us in Connecticut dramatically improve our schools -- Race to the Top, School Improvement Grants, and others.
Educate our children beyond the classroom by implementing a year of national service -- whether in the Peace Corps, in the armed forces, as a teacher, or in many other ways -- on completion of high school or college.

Train a workforce for the advanced manufacturing jobs of the future through a national investment in vocational and technical schools and science and math academies.

Open at least five new vocational and technical schools and five new math and science academies in Connecticut in the next six years, funded by one-to-one public and private investment matching.

Increase availability of adult vo-tech education, so that students at any stage of life can earn the skills they need to find good, secure jobs.
Work to ensure that curricula are cutting edge, reflecting the skills most needed to ensure successful careers.

Teach our kids to be entrepreneurs. Ensure every school in Connecticut has teachers and resources to teach kids about start-ups, small businesses, and how to become an entrepreneur.

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