Education
Education has been a stepping stone to opportunity for my family, as it has been for many Minnesota families. My grandfather didn’t graduate from high school, but he worked hard and saved money in a coffee can in the basement so my dad could go to college. My dad went to Ely Junior College (now called Vermilion Community College) in northern Minnesota, where thousands of the sons and daughters of Minnesota’s Iron Rangers have taken their first step up toward opportunity and economic security. My mom taught second grade until she was 70. She and my dad taught me the value of education, as so many Minnesotans have taught their own children.
A good education should be the basic right of every child. It is certainly one of the very best investments we can make in our future as a nation. Minnesotans have always had the greatest respect for education, and this respect was reflected in the generous support we have given our schools and higher education institutions. We have always believed that investing in education pays extraordinary dividends. Not only does it pay off for the individual, but it pays off for the rest of us.
Increasingly, our schools and colleges are being challenged by rising costs, and so are students and their families. College tuition and fees have been rising more rapidly than household income over the past two decades. It is becoming increasingly difficult for students and their families to afford these costs.
At a time when our global economy demands more from our workforce, we must focus more than ever on the foundation of our future prosperity: education.
As Minnesota’s U.S. Senator, these are my education priorities:
- Guarantee high standards and accountability in education — but in a way that provides local schools and teachers with the support they need to fulfill these standards. I believe in setting high expectations for our students and our schools. But those expectations have to be matched by the resources to get the job done. The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 was intended to improve the performance of primary and secondary schools by increasing the standards of accountability for states, school districts and schools. In exchange for their commitment to reform, states were promised funding necessary to fulfill these requirements. Instead, this law has turned into another underfunded federal mandate. Our schools and teachers need real support, not empty promises.
- Make higher education more affordable. America’s competitiveness in the global economy depends on the accessibility of higher education. But the costs of higher education are soaring. These costs block many qualified students from attending college and force many others to end their education prematurely. Student loan debt has also gotten out of control and become a crippling financial burden to so many young people and their families. It is time to provide real help for students and their families to make college more affordable. As a sponsor of the Middle Class Opportunity Act, I am working to expand access to college by consolidating three major tax deductions and credits into a single $2,500 annual credit to cover tuition, fees and textbooks. I am also committed to expanding educational opportunities by increasing Pell grants and reducing interest rates on student loans.
- Give our schools and teachers real support, not empty promises. We need to return the decision-making power to teachers, school administrators and state education officials. I am committed to examining ways in which we can ensure that the determination of whether a school is effective and making Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) is based upon more than the students’ performance on a single statewide test. I will fight to find ways in which schools can display a comprehensive portfolio of student achievement rather than assessing a student at a single point in time. I am also committed to examining ways in which we can provide a more comprehensive and valid assessment for students with disabilities and English Language Learners.
- Make sure the federal government lives up to its promise to support education for those with disabilities. The federal special education law, Individuals with Disabilities Act of 2004 (IDEA), imposes specific requirements to ensure that students with disabilities receive the services they need to achieve their educational goals. However, the commitment to fully fund IDEA has never been met. School districts are being forced to redirect more and more dollars from their general education budget to cover the shortfall. This practice hurts all students. I am fighting to make sure the federal government lives up to its promise to support education for those with disabilities.
- Support early childhood education opportunities. Every child should get a good start in life and enter kindergarten ready to learn. When children get off to a good start, they do better in school, stay law-abiding and enjoy higher earnings as adults. I am working to expand and improve early childhood education opportunities by supporting programs such as Head Start and the Minnesota School Readiness Program.
- Ensure that American students and workers get the education and training they need to compete in the global economy. The future of our nation depends on a highly-skilled and competitive workforce. We must do a better job of encouraging and supporting our students to study math and science. In my first months as Senator, I voted in support of the America Competes Act, with increased funding for math and science education as well as new technology initiatives. The Act expands Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate programs by increasing the number of teachers prepared to reach those courses; assisting states in the development of specialty schools in math and science; and establishing new summer training programs for teachers at the National Laboratories and at the National Science Foundation.