Blog: Inequality and Education

Statement

The U.S. Senate committee that oversees education is preparing to debate a bill to fix No Child Left Behind. Our office has been working with the committee's chairman, Lamar Alexander, a Republican from Tennessee and its senior Democrat, Patty Murray, from Washington. Together, we might actually be able to rise above political dysfunction to pass a bill.

I recently spoke on the Senate floor and urged my colleagues to work together to pass a bipartisan update that modernizes No Child Left Behind to improve equity and accountability, spur innovation, and provide greater flexibility for our schools. We should modernize the law to help break the cycle of poverty that often predetermines whether a child has a chance at educational opportunity and economic mobility. I also suggested the creation of a standing committee in the Senate focused exclusively on our children and their future.

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