Issue Position: Education

Issue Position

Education is the foundation of our nation. It's a right -- not just a privilege afforded to America's wealthy. We must be dedicated to strengthening early education in order to provide our nation's youth with the schooling they deserve. We need to make college more affordable for everyone. Rising tuition rates and excessive student loan rates make college nearly impossible to pay for these days. Congress must recognize that community colleges, trade schools, and universities can transform lives. A college degree opens up doors that would otherwise remain closed. Higher education lifts up communities and helps end the cycle of poverty. Students should never have to turn down a college degree because of their financial status. Every child in America should have a pathway to success through an outstanding educational experience. That is one reason Nanette dedicated pro bono hours as a child rights advocate to ensure children's special educational needs were met.

Education is the one of Nanette's top priorities because she firmly believes it is the number one equalizer. Nanette is a product of public schools. Her story of beating the odds and success today is something she credits because of her opportunity to get an education.

Nanette's educational priorities include:

* Making sure early childhood education is funded and available to communities of all backgrounds, especially low-income communities of color that have the biggest disadvantage in our educational system.
* Making college more affordable. Nanette herself came out of college then law school with a lot of debt that impacted her ability to choose what type of jobs she could afford or not afford to take. Every child deserves the opportunity to attain a college degree and in the future, we should provide free-to-low-cost education to students who want an education. For those prefer trade schools and skills, we need to make sure they have access and affordable training.
* Addressing the school-to-prison pipeline created by the disparity in school discipline that disproportionately impacts children of color. We need to be more creative in disciplining students rather than pulling them out of class so they are not learning. This is not only an educational issue but a civil rights issue.

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