Issue Position: Education

Issue Position

Louise believes that it is essential to provide equal access to a safe, quality education for everyone. Throughout her time in Congress she has been an advocate for high goals and tough standards, while ensuring that our children have a safe place to learn and grow in pursuit of their dreams. Education is the great equalizer and she believes that everyone should have an equal opportunity to take advantage of this country's education system.

She has advocated for technology funding for schools to ensure that students are able to take advantage of new opportunities in today's job market. Louise is also committed to ensuring that all children have the ability to go to college. She has championed many different ways to ensure that students have access to higher education. All of these measures are vitally important to make certain that our country remains competitive in the 21st century.

Making Education a Priority

* Co-Sponsor of the "Younger Americans Act" which would provide support to communities to carry out youth development programs. The Rochester area has several of these programs which ensure that our next generation has access to services that will help them succeed.
* Supported the e-rate program which provides discounted Internet access to libraries and schools.
* Championed the "Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Program" to provide support to local programs designed to make our schools safer.
* Sponsored and passed the "America After School Act" which increases the availability of affordable after school care for kids. These programs give students a safe place to do homework and receive tutoring.

Making Higher Education Affordable

* Supported the "Hope Scholarship Credit" and the "Lifetime Learning Credit" which benefits 12.9 million students a year including 916,000 in New York State.
* Helped create "Individual Retirement Accounts" to allow annual contributions of $500 for each child under 18 to help defray college costs.
* Supported a tax deduction of up to $1000 for interest paid on student loans.
* Supports reauthorization of the "Higher Education Act" which would lower student loan interest rates, promote high quality distance education, raise the maximum Pell Grant awards, provide partial loan forgiveness for teachers in low income areas, and increase efforts to aid minority and disadvantage students in going to college.

Making Our Schools Stronger

* Louise has been very active in preserving funding for Head Start and Title I programs to ensure that our nation's at risk children learn the skills they need to succeed in school.
* Supported an initiative to hire 100,000 new teachers.
* Co-Sponsored "America�s Better Classroom Act" which dedicates more resources to school construction and repairs to ensure that our child have safe and sound buildings to learn in.

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