Issue Position: Education

Issue Position

Issue Position: Education

Where are we now?

* Our children deserve good schools.

* Tuition costs keep going up. A college education costs 40 percent more than it did five years ago. In Arizona, college students graduate with an average debt of $18,026.

* Every year, 200,000 qualified students who are accepted into college decide not to go because of the cost.

* The No Child Left Behind Act made promises that were not kept. Since the No Child Left Behind Act was created, over $70 billion in money to schools has been left out of President Bush's budget which means thousands of under-funded schools do not have the money they need.

* In 2005, 540,382 public school students dropped out of high school. Arizona saw almost 20,000 students fail to graduate.

What I Believe and How We Can Change Washington

* As a teacher at Coconino Community College, I understood the value of education for the future of Arizona. That's why in the state legislature, I worked with Governor Napolitano to raise teacher pay statewide, and to make voluntary full-day Kindergarten possible. So all of our kids get a good start and are ready to learn.

* Our children deserve far better than what they are getting out of Washington and the Bush Administration. No Child Left Behind is a cute slogan - but it's an ugly policy that has not helped our children learn.

* We need to give our schools and teachers the support they need to be their best. We have to help schools create smaller class sizes, increase all teachers' pay and bring internet that isn't constantly breaking down to students in every school. We also have to make college something working families can afford.

* I'll make education a priority - just like I did as a legislator. Instead of snappy slogans I'll work for real change - providing our teachers and schools the support they need to make sure that our children get the best education America can provide.

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