Issue Position: Education Reform

Expanding Opportunities and Providing Tools for Success

Congresswoman Hirono is continuing to work on education policy in the House of Representatives, having long focused on improving education throughout her years of public service. Congresswoman Hirono serves on the Education and Labor Committee, a position she requested so she could have more influence to improve education in Hawai"i and nationally.

Education is the key to success in our increasingly global economy, and education is also a great equalizer if our society provides access and opportunity for all students to learn.

Among the many education policy needs in our country, three priorities stand out -- to ensure more children enter school ready to succeed, to overhaul No Child Left Behind, and to make college more affordable.

Help more children enter school ready to succeed:

Congresswoman Hirono recently introduced the Providing Resources Early for Kids (PRE-K) Act of 2007 (H.R. 702). The PRE-K Act invests in our families, our nation, and our future by creating a federal-state partnership to improve early education opportunities.

Learn more about the Pre-K Act on my Early Education page, here.

Quality early education is foundational. National studies have shown that the first five years of life are crucially important years in brain development and early learning.

Investing in our keiki at the earliest ages to enable them to succeed in school and in life makes economic sense as well. Various studies have shown that a $1 investment in preschool today will save between $2 and $17 in the future.

Support for early education is a critical investment, and I will continue to work with my colleagues in Congress to provide access to high quality preschool opportunities.

Overhaul No Child Left Behind:

We have an opportunity to dramatically improve America's public schools by making vital changes to NCLB. The Education and Labor Committee has heard from parents, teachers, principals, superintendents, and other stakeholders at numerous hearings on NCLB the last couple of years, and has reviewed the written recommendations from over 100 education groups. When combined with the extensive information Congresswoman Hirono has gathered from Hawai"i's education community, this information shapes her NCLB priorities.

* Increase fairness and flexibility:

Allow states to implement a growth model to give credit for progress over time, and measure progress by using more than a single test on a single day. This is especially important because Hawai"i is ready and eager to implement a growth model, but the U.S. Department of Education has not allowed it.

* Support teachers and principals:

Treat educators with the respect they deserve: no factor matters more to student learning than the quality of teachers and principals.

* Encourage best practices:

Recognize the critical importance and relevance of subjects such as science, history, arts, music, and foreign languages.

* Protect Native Hawaiian Education:

Reauthorize the Native Hawaiian Education Act to ensure that our keiki have opportunities for success.

Make college more affordable:

Congresswoman Hirono is an original cosponsor of the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2009 (H.R. 3221). Introduced this summer, H.R. 3221 makes significant investments in community colleges, student loan programs, Pell Grants, school facilities, and early childhood education. This bill also makes changes to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form, making it easier for families to apply for financial aid. This legislation represents the single largest investment in Pell Grants and student loans in history. H.R. 3221 passed out of committee on July 21 and may be voted on by the House of Representatives this fall.

Source