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Alameda, Contra Costa County, CA | November 6, 2012 Election |
EducationBy Eric SwalwellCandidate for United States Representative; District 15 | |
This information is provided by the candidate |
EDUCATION With education, we should think globally but allow decisions to be made locally. Eric Swalwell will use his background as the founder and president of the Dublin High School Alumni Association, business background, experience in the Alameda County District Attorney's Office, education policy knowledge and school leadership experience to create substantive reforms to our education system. Providing a quality education to our children should be our highest priority. We must build a 21st Century public education system that provides each and every child with the opportunity to grow and thrive. The world is changing fast. And if our district's children -- and children across America, are going to compete in a global economy, we must transform the way we educate our children. I propose repealing No Child Left Behind and delivering as much federal dollars to local districts for local decision-making as possible. We also must encourage private industry and public educators and administrators to get on the same page so that we are preparing our children with the skills they will need to enter the workforce. MY PRIORITIES
-- Differential Learning: Every child learns differently. Our education system should understand and adapt to that. Differential learning can be a silver bullet to controlling our dropout rate. Recognizing that each student learns differently, and acting and teaching to their capacity for learning, can be the difference between a high school degree and a high school dropout who is likely to live below the poverty line or commit crimes against our community. -- STEM Education: We must provide funding so every district can have Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) programs. The skills our children will learn through this program will prepare them to compete in a global economy. Children cannot adequately learn, however, if we do not provide them with highly-trained teachers. For starters, young, qualified teachers need job security. Too many districts routinely issue pink slips to young teachers every spring. This is unacceptable and not seen in almost any other profession. It's also a deterrent to attracting talented teachers and causes talented teachers to leave the profession early. If we want teachers to teach, we must equip them with not only the skills and technology to do so, but also job security. And if teachers cannot meet fair evaluation standards, we must re-train them. Foucs on Bullying Bullying is an alarming problem in schools across the nation. Every day 160,000 students stay home from school due to fear of what awaits them. Advances in technology have elevated this behavior from harmless teasing to harassment and intimidation that is impossible to ignore. No child should be afraid to go to school. As your Congressman, I'll make sure the federal government is available to assist with the education and awareness of this issue. Prevention programs, parent information, and partnering with state and local officials all help ensure every child feels safe in his/her learning environment. By working together, we can make sure our students are given the tools they need to succeed. Preparing to Enter the Workforce Today's generation of students must have post-secondary education training to compete in the global economy. We must make sure there are enough funded options: community colleges, vocational training, or a four-year university. We must also make sure students, from all backgrounds, can afford to receive a post-secondary school education. I will work to reform our student loan program, de-emphasize a parent's earnings in determining loan amount, and work to create a system that allows any student to receive a tuition loan for post-secondary training. If given the opportunity to receive a student loan to receive skills to enter today's economy, America's students will not only happily pay those loans back, but also power our economy forward. About the issues: America needs an economic comeback. I'm ready to lead our comeback and will work from a core set of principles to achieve this. Today's issues can no longer be placed in silos or separated from one another. In this global economy and digital world, our issues are inter-connected, inter-related and must be integrated. The issues in this section are all inter-dependent on American competitiveness and our ability to create good-paying jobs that strengthen our economy. |
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