Issue Position: Public and Higher Education

Issue Position

Guarantee quality public education

Aggressively advocate for quality education by making sure that state funding formulas (readjusted every two years) result in maximum dollars for our district's schools

Recognize that quality education includes (a) smaller class sizes, (b) programs for special needs and advanced learners, and (c) resources for computers, art, sports and music

Build greater local control, accountability and higher academic standards into decision-making through joint collaboration between parents, teachers and administration.

Acknowledge that Indiana is behind most of the U.S. in early education and invest in pre-K and full-day kindergarten so our kids have the best possible start in life

Accomplishment: Early Education

This session we established an early education pilot program. The bill establishes funding for low-income students in a five-county pilot area to attend accredited early education programs. This is the first-ever investment in pre-K in our state's history and I am hopeful we can build on the success of the pilot for an eventual statewide effort for all kids.

Attract the best and brightest teachers by creating a "Teacher Academy" that offers free tuition for students graduating in the top 10% of their high school class who commit to teaching at an Indiana urban school for at least five years

Accomplishment: High-Quality Teachers

I amended SB 330 to establish a loan repayment program to incentivize our best and brightest graduates to become teachers in our schools. Under the program, students who graduate in the top 20 percent of their high school class, maintain a minimum 3.5 GPA in college and commit to teach in either an underserved school or the fields of special education or STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, & Math) for a minimum of three years will receive a student loan repayment of up to $9,000. Senate Bill 330 was signed into law by the Governor. The Commison on Higher Education will begin to roll out this program over the next year at our high schools and colleges.

Make higher education and vocational training more available

Increase access to low-interest college loans, oppose cuts in higher education and ensure quality vocational training for students who choose not to go to college

Accomplishment: Adult Education Opportunities

A pair of new laws will help adults better compete in the increasingly competitive job market through a skills program designed around good-paying jobs and an increase in the number and accessibility of adult high schools. Our district currently has two adult high schools with a third on the way in the west side of town.

Advocate for initiatives that further bolster IUPUI as a world-class institution

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