Issue Position: Protecting Public Education

Issue Position

The "Save Our Schools" Amendment

In 2009, Republican state leadership denied Texas schools more than $3 billion in federal aid--in other words, federal dollars made not a dime of difference to our schoolchildren and our teachers. To prevent such budgeting games from reoccurring, I worked with the Democratic delegation to secure special protections to ensure federal aid to education actually helped Texas school children. Despite repeated attacks and threats from Governor Perry and others and ultimate repeal by a new majority of the House of Representatives, the "Doggett Amendment," as the Governor derided it, had some positive impact. The amendment prevented the federal money from being hijacked into the Texas appropriation process where it almost certainly would have been used to hide cuts to public education made by the Texas Legislature in its budget for the upcoming biennium. In addition, the amendment drew attention to the meager amount the State was promising for public education. In the end, over $830 million in federal funds moved directly from TEA to local schools.

Ensuring No Child Starts Behind

I am a sponsor of the Strong Start for America's Children Act that would increase access to high-quality early education for Texas children by providing funding for economically disadvantaged four-year olds with full-day prekindergarten classes. I am a long-time supporter of the Child Care and Development Block Grant, Head Start and Early Head Start. Whether America's most vulnerable young children will reach their potential depends in large part on our investment in these programs. I opposed the Republican budgets that would result in deep cuts to fund formula-driven education programs such as Title I and Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) that help ensure that the children who need the most assistance have the resources to succeed.

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