Overview

Providing a high-quality public education for all children is critical to America’s social and economic well-being. Education is our primary means to achieve equality of opportunity in this country and we have a responsibility to provide every child with an education that will enable them to succeed in a global workplace that is predicated on knowledge and innovation.


K-12 Education and No Child Left Behind (NCLB)

Every child is entitled to a high quality, public education. This principle is so deeply held in Wisconsin that it is written into our state’s constitution. I believe it is absolutely essential that the federal government be a partner with state and local governments, to provide the resources necessary to ensure that every child in this country has access to a complete and competitive education, from the cradle through career.

The years before a child reaches kindergarten are among the most critical in his or her life. By providing support and resources early on, our youngest children will be prepared to succeed later in their educational career.

In 2001, Congress passed the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act to improve standards, hold schools accountable for performance and provide additional resources. In many ways, NCLB was a positive step forward. However, there are significant problems that need to be addressed, from drastic underfunding to unrealistic testing requirements. As we look to reauthorize this program, I will continue to support legislative efforts that seek to reform NCLB and provide the proper level of funding.

In addition, I believe we must ensure that our children are taught by high quality teachers. Unfortunately, our schools continue to have trouble recruiting and retaining quality educators. By increasing teacher pay and investing in innovative strategies to help teachers improve student outcomes, we increase the quality of public education throughout our country.

Higher Education and the Higher Education Act (HEA)

Ensuring that all students who qualify have access to affordable and quality higher education is essential if America is to retain its competitive advantage in the global economy. However, as the cost of a college education continues to skyrocket, we must do all that we can to prevent the ability to pay from being the deciding factor for families sending their children to college.

The reauthorization of the Higher Education Act (HEA) was a much-needed and long overdue first step toward realigning our nation’s higher education priorities. It preserved many well-known and widely-used federal grant and loan programs – Pell, Perkins, LEAP, SEOG – and increased loan limits for those eligible for federal programs. In addition, many of the new changes to the law affect the administration of higher education, meaning that students will have greater access to affordable education that will be operating under greater accountability to the federal government for price increases, safety regulations, and student information privacy.

We must continue to build on these reform efforts and continue to expand college financial aid, while at the same time making these federal programs simpler, more reliable, and more efficient for students. I will continue to work with my colleagues in Congress and President Obama to lower the costs associated with student loans, increase funding for successful programs like federal work-study, and increase the amount of federally-financed and subsidized need-based student loans available to individuals seeking a higher education.

 

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