EDUCATION POLICY:

Education is critical to our future success and competitiveness and should be a primary focus for our district and the nation. Investing in workforce development benefits Iowans, benefits our federal and Iowa budgets, improves our standard of living, and provides the adaptable pool of talent necessary to attract new businesses and jobs to our district. These investments in our future must start at the k-12 educational level so more 5th District Iowans are prepared for the option of advanced training. That’s why I support finding ways to better attract and reward exceptional teachers while promoting new and innovative approaches to learning in Iowa.

While Iowans are more likely than the national average to graduate from high school, we are, unfortunately, less likely to have a college degree. In an era of ever increasing regional and global competition, it is imperative that we provide students and working Iowans with the tools they need to succeed. At a time of great financial uncertainty and rising tuition costs, I believe we need to make certain all students and families can afford to pursue valuable educational opportunities. We must expand our direct aid and work study programs and improve the financial aid process. This will allow our students to better compete and succeed in a global economy and continuously changing workplace.