Lauren Beth Gash on Education

Special college scholarships to attract teachers

Attracting the Best Teachers and Reducing Class Size.
Lauren supports special college scholarships to attract top students into the teaching profession. She also supports tough standards for teachers, continuing education programs for teachers, and incentives to keep the best teachers from leaving the classroom. Lauren supports providing more resources for local schools to hire additional teachers. Source: www.laurenbethgash.com/ Sep 9, 2000

Hire 100,000 new teachers; reduce class size

As a Member of Congress, she will support legislation to hire 100,000 new, qualified teachers in grades one through three to reduce the student/teacher ratio to 18 to 1. She will also support legislation to ensure that teachers have the high-tech skills they need to prepare their students for the 21st Century. Source: www.laurenbethgash.com/ Sep 9, 2000

More tax credits & Pell Grants for college

Making College Affordable.
As a State Representative, Lauren worked to pass legislation to create Prepaid Tuition Trust Funds for parents to put away money for their children’s college education. Gash also supports providing tax credits and tax deductions for college tuition and fees for parents sending their kids to college. And, she supports increasing funding for Pell Grants and continued funding for the Direct Student Loan program. Source: www.laurenbethgash.com/ Sep 9, 2000

Smaller classes; more funds for college

Growing up, children spend more time in school than nearly any other environment. Parents should not have to worry about the quality of education their children receive. Lauren supports legislation to reduce class sizes, provide high-tech skills for students, and make college affordable and accessible. Source: www.laurenbethgash.com/ Sep 9, 2000

Zero tolerance for guns or violence in schools

Lauren stood up to the NRA to pass a bill in the Illinois House that would help keep guns out of schools. She believes there should be zero tolerance for guns or violence in schools. She favors teaching discipline and values to our children, & expelling children who bring a gun to school. Lauren favors increasing parental involvement and creating programs to stop school violence before it starts. Lauren supported the “Safe to Learn” grant program to help fund school safety and violence prevention. Source: www.laurenbethgash.com/ Sep 9, 2000

Local control of public schools

Local Control.
Lauren believes the best way to ensure that state learning standards are met is through local control, with decisions being made by each community about how to attract and retain the best teachers, keep class sizes small, and use specific curricular materials.

Lauren supports relieving schools of certain unfunded state mandates which local taxpayers must pay for, while holding schools accountable for meeting high learning standards.

Source: www.laurenbethgash.com/ Sep 9, 2000

Click here for definitions & background information on Education. Click here for policy papers on Education. Click here for SenateMatch answers by Lauren Beth Gash. Agree? Disagree? Voice your opinions on Education in The Forum.
*Other candidates on Education:*		*Lauren Beth Gash on other issues:*
*IL 10th district Senatorial:* Mark Kirk *Presidential:* George W. Bush (Republican for President) V.P.Dick Cheney (Republican for V.P.) Sen.John Kerry (Democratic nominee for Pres.) Sen.John Edwards (Democratic nominee for V.P.) Ralph Nader (Reform nominee for Pres.) Peter Camejo (Reform nominee for V.P.) David Cobb (Green nominee for Pres.) Michael Badnarik (Libertarian nominee for Pres.) Michael Peroutka (Constitution nominee for Pres.)	*2004 Senate Races:* (AK)Knowles v.Murkowski v.Sykes (AL)Shelby v.Sowell (AR)Holt v.Lincoln (AZ)McCain v.Starky (CA)Boxer v.Gray v.Jones (CO)Coors v.Salazar v.Schaffer (CT)Dodd v.Masullo (FL)Deutsch v.Martinez v.McCollum (GA)Buckley v.Collins v.Isakson v.Majette (HI)Inouye (IA)Grassley v.Northrop v.Small (ID)Crapo (IL)Fitzgerald v.Obama v.Keyes (IN)Bayh v.Scott (KS)Brownback (KY)Bunning v.Mongiardo (LA)John v.Vitter (MD)Mikulski v.Pipkin (MO)Bond v.Farmer (NC)Bowles v.Burr (ND)Dorgan v.Liffrig (NH)Granny D v.Gregg (NV)Reid v.Ziser (NY)Hirschfeld v.O'Grady v.Schumer (OH)Fingerhut v.Voinovich (OK)Carson v.Coburn (OR)Broussard v.King v.Wyden (PA)Hoeffel v.Specter (SC)Beasley v.DeMint v.Tenenbaum (SD)Daschle v.Thune (UT)Bennett v.Van Dam (VT)Leahy v.McMullen (WA)Murray v.Nethercutt (WI)Feingold v.Neumann	Abortion Budget/Economy Civil Rights Corporations Crime Drugs Education Energy/Oil Environment Families Foreign Policy Free Trade Govt. Reform Gun Control Health Care Homeland Security Immigration Jobs Principles Social Security Tax Reform Technology War/Peace Welfare Other Senators House of Representatives SenateMatch (matching quiz) HouseMatch Senate Votes (analysis) House Votes