Education for the 21st Century
As the son of a fourth grade teacher, the product of a strong public education, and the parent of two young children, Josh knows firsthand how important it is for the next generation of workers and citizens to have a quality education. An education that prepares our students for the 21st century begins in Pre-K and extends through technical school or college. Here’s what that looks like:
- Increasing federal support for equitable access to quality child care and universal pre-K for our youngest learners so they can thrive and grow while their parents work.
- Guaranteeing that high school graduates can continue their education without being crushed under a mountain of debt by expanding eligibility for Pell Grants, capping interest rates on federal student loans at 2%, and expanding the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program to cover more students.
- Making community college free for all.
Giving our students a high-quality education also means that we must reinvest in our public schools and in our hard-working teachers. Josh supports:
- Expanding Public Service Loan Forgiveness, TEACH grants and other programs that help teachers get a free or reduced-cost education
- Developing a system of federally-backed pensions for public school teachers, modeled on the Civil Service Retirement System, to help attract some of the best minds into the profession.
- Creating a CCC-style program that employs construction workers to help rebuild and remodel our schools for a 21st century learning environment. Many school buildings, particularly in our district’s rural communities are crumbling, and our current system of property taxes for school funding prevents many poorer schools from making needed investments in their buildings. A federal program can help bridge that gap while also creating good jobs within the community.
- Helping schools develop family resource hubs within school buildings that provide access to medical and social services, because we know kids thrive best when schools create intentional partnerships between schools and families.
- Expanding broadband to all schools and families via the ReConnect program, which gives financial assistance to service providers who can build out “last mile” services.
