Patty Wetterling on Education

Congress under-funded No Child Left Behind by $58M in MN

A: One of the most important lessons I learned as a teacher is that you should always put your students in a position to succeed. This same lesson applies today in our classrooms: accountability means nothing if we don't provide our teachers and our schools with the resources to succeed. The No Child Left Behind Act was passed less than three years ago. But Congress is already failing to meet its commitment to Minnesota, under-funding the money promised to Minnesota under NCLB by over $58 million. I will fight to ensure that our teachers and schools are put in a position where they can succeed. We will provide the money Congress promised. We will make sure that the money we spend is money spent in the classroom. We must see to it that every classroom has a quality teacher. We will work to restore optimal class sizes, prevent further cuts to extracurricular programs.

Access to higher education means more global competitiveness

A: As a teacher, I believe that educating our youth from early childhood through post-secondary is a matter of national security. We need to ensure that our young people can compete on a global level. I will support efforts that allow greater access to higher education.