Think about what’s occurring in education. The administration’s No Child Left Behind Act is wreaking havoc on local school districts. Despite the insistence of Democrats in Congress that the program should be funded as promised, the administration has
opposed full funding and is refusing to let states try innovative alternatives. Now the Republican leadership in Washington is actually cutting billions of dollars from the student loan programs that serve working families, helping to get their children
through college.
There’s a better way. Last year, governors from across the country worked together in a bipartisan fashion to reform the senior year of high school to make it serve our students better. Many states are working to make high-quality
pre-kindergarten accessible to every family. Congressional Democrats have a plan to educate 100,000 new engineers, scientists and mathematicians in the next four years. The results: more accredited schools, better student test scores.
Make education policy by first-hand visits to schools
When I was Mayor of Richmond, I took a vow to visit a school in our city every Tuesday morning. I knew the public schools that my three children attended but I wanted to see the real condition of children’s education throughout the city.
On my visits, I learned in a first-hand way the strengths and weaknesses of individual schools, listened to teachers, parents and students, and witnessed how educational policies play out in real life classrooms.
Source: Campaign website www.kaine2005.org, “Issues”
Nov 8, 2005
