Issue Position: Education

Issue Position

What's Wrong

America faces a serious long-term competitive disadvantage. In the last eight years, we went from first to tenth in terms of the percentage of our young adults holding a bachelor's degree. We are not adequately educating the next generation of innovators, researchers and leaders.
Alexi's Plan to Make It Right

Alexi believes that a quality education must serve as the foundation of the American economy. As we climb out from this economic crisis, we must prepare Americans for the jobs of the future. This strategy is about more than just recovery -- it is about how we will emerge stronger than before. America will only continue to lead if our children can compete in the global economy.
Invest in the proven success of early childhood education

Alexi's plan begins before children enter kindergarten with increased investment in Head Start, Early Head Start, and other early childhood education programs.
We save up to $17 in the future for every dollar we invest in our children before the age of five, because they are likely to earn more and less likely to drop out of school, be incarcerated, or seek welfare.

Hire an army of new teachers and give them the resources to succeed

Nearly a third of America's three million teachers could retire in the next four years. This will require a new army of talented teachers. President Obama's nationwide Teacher Recruitment Program is a good start, but there remains a lot of work to be done once we get those teachers into the classroom.
Reducing class size improves student achievement, particularly for younger children, and plays an especially important role in raising student achievement in high-poverty, at-risk schools. Studies have shown that more teacher-student interaction allows teachers to recognize the needs of individual students and customize instruction and assignments, leading to large gains in reading and math. Alexi will prioritize education funding to states so that they will be able to reduce class size.

Make higher education and advanced job training available to all

Higher education or advanced job training is critical to building a competitive workforce. Alexi will continue to make higher education more affordable by supporting an expansion of Pell Grants and proposing new financial incentives and tax credits to make sure any young person who works hard can afford to attend school.

Reform No Child Left Behind

No Child Left Behind had the right goals but the wrong strategy and inadequate funding. It must be reformed to reduce the focus on standardized tests, and provide a support mechanism for teachers and schools that are underperforming. The program must be overhauled, replacing the current accountability system with one that gives credit for progress.

Fully fund the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

All students have a right to receive a quality education. Unfortunately, Congress has not provided adequate funding for schools to educate students with disabilities. Currently, the federal government is providing just a fraction of the promised funding and as a result, school districts have been forced to absorb the shortfall, taking money that could otherwise be used for smaller classes, teacher pay, school building upgrades and other important efforts. Alexi supports the bipartisan initiatives to require the federal government to fully fund its share of the per-pupil cost of educating children covered under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

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