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As we provide support and propose smart reforms for our education system, I strongly believe we must prioritize the needs of low-income children, their families, their schools, and their communities. Access to a good education should be a fundamental human right for all children. We now have an historic opportunity to shape our nation’s educational future and significantly expand opportunities for all American children, including those children in need. As a member of Congress, my goal is to ensure that our education reforms include comprehensive, supportive improvements for students, their families, and their teachers—for example, school safety initiatives, better technology, smaller class sizes, after-school activities, and enhanced parent involvement. I also know firsthand that students do not come to school ready to learn when they are hungry. I have been a lifelong supporter of making sure that all children are provided with three healthy meals a day—a strategy proven to have a lasting positive impact on a child’s overall ability to succeed in school.
Itis imperative for our community and our economic potential that we help prepare all students to get into college and earn a degree. I am a product of Upward Bound, and know firsthand how vital it is to have a network of support for at-risk teens. Federal TRIO programs like Upward Bound, Student Support Services, and Talent Search help low-income, at-risk, and first generation college students fully realize their potential while they are in middle and high school, and then stay by their side up through college graduation.
Southeast Wisconsin is home to some of the finest higher education institutions in the country schools like Marquette University, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee Area Technical College, Alverno, and others are committed to training the next generation of our workforce. These schools give kids the skills they need to find good jobs—and they play a critical role in ensuring that our region maintains a healthy economy and competes globally.
Public education is one of our nation’s greatest civil rights advances. I will continue to work to make sure that every child has access to equal opportunity and a bright future.
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