Issue Position: Education

Issue Position

Our children's education is critical to the success of every generation and it is only fair that we ensure that our education system is focused on our students and not being negatively affected by Washington bureaucrats.

K-12 Education

We care about providing a quality education to all students of the 23rd District. We believe in helping each child achieve his or her full and unique potential. Utilizing modern tools and knowledge will help our students succeed in the 21st century. We must return America's educational system to one of the best in the world, and I believe we have the ability to make that happen. This fight starts with the restoration of local control and the repeal of Common Core.

I firmly support the Tenth Amendment and will fight to restore local control to our school districts. Standards and curriculum should be set by states and local educators. With the geographic and cultural differences across our country, federal influence in education can have drastically different impacts in urban areas, such as New York City and Los Angeles, compared to more rural areas, such as the Southern Tier and Finger Lakes. We have hosted roundtables across the district and have heard from students, parents, teachers, and local administrators and it is clear that a "one size fits all" system from the federal government is not effective at making sure our children receive a high quality education. The federal government does not know better than those who work with our children every day and that is why I am committed to reigning in the Department of Education's role in our local schools.

We must place more responsibility on parents and empower them to really become involved in their children's education. It is only fair that they have a larger role in selecting and participating in the learning environment that works best for their family. Another important point is allowing teachers to teach by removing red tape. Over-testing has become a serious issue in our school. Students' needs vary greatly and parents and teachers should be able teach according to those needs and do so creatively.

Higher Education

The skyrocketing cost of college has become a serious concern for students and families across the Southern Tier. They have difficult decisions to make when balancing what they can afford with the quality of education they are seeking. Furthermore, as costs continue to rise, higher education is getting farther out of reach for many.

Through roundtable discussions with students, parents and financial aid representatives, we continually hear about the high cost of college and we have taken action to resolve those concerns.

Specifically, we are working to hold colleges accountable and ensure that they are using their endowments to offer direct student aid to students from working and middle class families to help them afford college.

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