Issue Position: Education

Issue Position

Virginia's education system is one of the best in the country. As Governor and now Senator, Mark Warner has been at the national forefront in efforts to maintain and improve educational and career opportunities for Virginians.

Early Childhood

As Governor, Mark Warner created grant programs to help localities provide greater access to qualified early childhood education programs, and strengthened child care center standards.

K-12

Under then-Gov. Warner's leadership, Virginia's education system made enormous gains through innovative reform initiatives that enlisted community support to help students, parents, teachers and schools that were academically challenged. Gov. Warner launched initiatives to mentor young teachers, promote more stable staffing in challenged rural and inner city schools, and equipped talented school administrators with special training and tools to begin turning- around failing schools. Gov. Warner's 2004 successful bipartisan budget and tax reforms provided the largest increase in K-12 educational support in Virginia's history.

College Affordability

As Governor and as a member of the Senate, Mark has worked to reinvigorate the senior year of high school by promoting access to college-level courses and workforce training programs. Sen. Warner has introduced bipartisan legislation, The Know Before You Go Act, to help students and their families more fully access and compare the costs of a college education. In 2014, Sen. Warner introduced bipartisan legislation to make it easier for students to refinance college loans and switch to income-based repayment options.

Workforce Training

In a rapidly changing economy, Virginia needs to ensure that people have the job skills necessary to compete and succeed. Since a four-year college education is not the appropriate choice for every student, Mark has worked as Governor and as a U.S. Senator to expand access to qualified worker training and certification programs. He turned abandoned warehouses into job development centers in some of the Commonwealth's most financially distressed communities, and his commitment to workforce training earned him a spot in the Virginia Career and Technical Education Hall of Fame.

A Fair Shot for Everyone

Sen. Warner is a strong supporter of comprehensive immigration reform, including DREAM Act support for responsible young people brought to this country through no fault of their own. He knows that an education is vital to giving high achieving, talented young adults a fair shot at the American dream.

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