Issue Position: Education

Issue Position

Education has always been my passion because I believe a quality education -- whether public, private or home school -- is the key to a better quality of life, lower unemployment, keeping folks off welfare and expanding economic prosperity for all Americans.

I will continue to work towards enhancing and improving our nation's education system. I will also work to keep the dream of a college education within reach of all Americans by supporting federal assistance programs that help make higher education affordable.

Reauthorization of Elementary and Secondary Education Act, or ESEA

In 2001, as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, I helped draft No Child Left Behind, which was a comprehensive education reform to strengthen this nation's public schools by providing them with the necessary resources to give all children a quality education. Over time, it became clear that improvements need to be made to the law, and that is why I took an active role in the process of reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. I am pleased that the Every Student Succeeds Act, which is the name of the new legislation that was signed into law, includes removing federally mandated definitions of "high quality teachers" and ensuring that accountability systems are truly designed and implemented by the states, not the federal government. The legislation also ensures that the federal government cannot force states to implement a set of core academic standards.

I was particularly pleased that the Senate unanimously adopted an amendment I offered that helps parents understand their rights to "opt-out" their children from state assessments. I strongly believe that parents are the best positioned to make important decisions regarding the education of their children, and this amendment reflects my commitment to that principle.

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