Education
We need to strengthen our public education system from preschool through college to make sure every child is prepared for the jobs of the future, and we must invest more in the State University system and other local colleges so they can become economic engines that spur job creation and keep our kids at home.
Specifically, I will:
- Support efforts to increase investment in early childhood education, including quality child care and Head Start. In New York, nearly 50,000 children annually are served by the Head Start program and an average of more than 140,000 children a month benefit from federal child care assistance.
- Work to end the failed mandates of the No Child Left Behind Act to let teachers teach and to give schools the flexibility to address the needs of their students. New York has one of the lowest high school graduation rates with just 60.9 percent of incoming ninth graders graduating within four years. I will work with local educators and community leaders to help turn this statistic around in Western New York.
- Work to make college more affordable. Between the 1995-1996 and 2005-2006 school years, adjusted for inflation, the cost of going to a public college increased by 30%. In order to remain competitive in a global economy, we need to make college affordable for every qualified student who wants to attend. In Congress, I will work to increase the maximum Pell Grants, and create new tuition tax credits.
- Make certain that our secondary schools and post-secondary educational institutions are equipped to provide the type of education and training the 21st century global workplace requires. To help our students compete and succeed in today’s global economy we must to renew our commitment to public education in America. I will work to reduce class sizes and to bring new technology to the classroom.
