Education

K-12 Education:

Education can be a pathway out of poverty, but how we fund education in the U.S. keeps this from being true. We know that a child getting a Preschool and Pre-K education can have a huge impact on a child’s future in education, yet it is not free for all children like K-12 education is. This keeps many Americans, who are disproportionately poor and people of color, from getting important education for their children. That is why I support universal Preschool and Pre-K. There is no reason to treat Preschool and Pre-K differently from K-12 education; they are all just as important which is why Preschool and Pre-K should be free for all.

Our K-12 system is also in need of changes. We must increase funding and start funding schools based on need, not based on the amount of money a zip code has. Our current education system discriminates against poor students and students of color, keeping their schools from getting the proper amount of money needed to buy supplies, laptops, fund the arts & sports, and pay & hire teachers, nurses, and counselors. This means that schools that are performing well receive significantly more funding than those that require additional teachers to reduce class sizes, fund extracurricular activities, acquire resources for students with special needs, and more. This lack of funding harms students' ability to get a quality education and can lead to teachers burning out, making things even worse for educators, students, and the community.

College for All & Student Debt: 

We also shouldn’t treat college differently from K-12 education. I also support making Colleges and Trade Schools tuition-free because higher education can also be a pathway out of poverty and produces important jobs we need in our society like Teachers, Nurses, Plumbers, Electricians, and others. We shouldn’t be leaving young people in crippling debt, which is bad for them and our economy. That is why I support canceling all student loan debt that is preventing young people from buying homes, starting families, and living comfortable lives.

An educated population is important for the future of our society and should be supported by the federal government. Short of College for All, the least we should do is offer zero or close to zero interest federal loans. I also support counting past interest payments on student loan debt to go toward a one-time tax credit. Unfortunately, our elected officials are not painting a picture of what our country, which is the richest in the history of the world, can be. We should be encouraging people to seek knowledge, not punishing them for pursuing what they have been told is the main pathway to a middle class life.