Issue Position: Education

Issue Position

Elementary and Secondary Education

As the spouse of a retired public school teacher, I am a strong supporter of our public schools. The federal government funds a broad range of programs to increase education funding at the local level. These programs include Title I, which increases funding for low-income schools, after-school programs, Head Start, and other important initiatives.

Elementary and Secondary Education Act:

The Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 2001 (ESEA), also known as the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), reauthorized a number of federal programs aiming to improve the performance of elementary and secondary schools by holding states, school districts, and schools accountable for students' academic progress, as well as by providing parents more flexibility in choosing which schools their children will attend. When ESEA was passed in 2001, I voted for it.

The Elementary and Secondary Education Act is pending reauthorization in 2011. I will continue to fight for the education of all our children.

While I support the overall goals of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 2001, Congress must also ensure that any accountability is adequately funded. Congress and the State should ensure that schools have the proper funding to meet the demands of ESEA when it is reauthorized. The biggest improvement that can be made to ESEA is to ensure that the standards set by this law are attainable by all students, especially those who are learning disabled and English Language Learners. Some schools have been penalized due to low performance scores, however, it has been noted that most of these cases involve students with learning disabilities. A fair and equitable system is necessary in order to accurately evaluate the needs of schools, and more importantly, the students. I will work hard to ensure that this happens as Congress goes to reauthorize the law.

Head Start:

The Head Start program provide comprehensive services to young children whose families earn low incomes in order to facilitate their social, emotional, physical, and cognitive development. Services include education, health, nutrition, screening for developmental delays, and a variety of family services when needed. Federal Head Start funds are awarded directly to over 1,600 grantees. Local programs are tailored to the needs of children in different communities. The Head Start program balances this local flexibility with rigorous national quality performance standards, involving potential points of violation.

Congress reauthorized the Head Start early childhood development program in 2007. Not only does the reauthorization measure ensure the continuation of this successful program, but it also expands eligibility for families and sets higher education standards for Head Start teachers.

In response to the weakening economy, Congress included $2.1 billion for Head Start in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, to allow an additional 124,000 children to participate in the program. In 2009-10, Head Start funded enrollment for over 900,000 children nationwide.

I am a strong supporter of the Head Start program, and will fight to see that it is strengthened and preserved for future generations.

Children with Disabilities:
In 1975, Congress passed the Education for All Handicapped Children Act, later renamed the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA). This program has helped countless children with physical, learning and developmental disabilities to obtain a free and appropriate public education so that they can become contributing members of society. Although Congress set a goal of funding 40 percent of the additional costs of educating students with disabilities, it has never kept its promise to fully fund this program. I support mandatory funding of this program to ensure that the federal government upholds its promise to fully fund IDEA. Every child should be provided a public education that helps them reach their full potential.

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