In Congress, Carolyn will work to:

• Make investments in our public education system because every child, no matter where they live, deserves a world-class education.

• Expand programs like Pell Grants to make it easier to afford higher education, while also working to fix the student loan debt crisis.

• Invest in job training and apprenticeship programs, because career training is essential to upward mobility and a stronger economy.  

• Provide universal pre-k to give every child the head start they need to be successful. 

Carolyn is proud to send her son to Gwinnett public schools because she knows the value of a public education and how critical our schools are to ensuring that all our children have a bright future. Carolyn supports increased federal funding for Title 1 schools (those with high number of students from low-income backgrounds), fully funding the Individuals with Disabilities Act to help schools hire and retain highly qualified special education teachers and increase resources available to prepare and retain teachers. 

Higher education is a key to economic success but is out of reach for far too many. Carolyn was only able to afford to go to college through the help of her community and programs like Pell Grants. Now, as a professor at Georgia State University, Carolyn sees the struggle too many of her students go through to afford the rising costs of higher education. To help make college more affordable, Carolyn supports increased funding for programs such as Pell Grants and supplemental loan programs. She believes that anyone who wants to pursue a higher education should not be held back simply because they cannot afford it. 

In addition to helping prospective students afford college, we also need to provide relief for those already struggling with student debt. The student loan debt crisis is growing and we need to act now. Carolyn supports programs that enable folks to pay back their student loans proportionally to their income so that no one is paying more than they can afford. For those students who go into careers in public service such as teachers, nurses, police, firefighters and the military, Carolyn supports strengthening the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.

With the increased need for skilled labor, workforce training and apprenticeship programs need to be readily available and affordable for those coming out of high school and for those looking at a new career. Carolyn supports increased investments in technical education programs as well as apprenticeship programs. Workers in changing industries are being left behind, and it’s important that they have opportunities to retrain for good, quality jobs. 

High quality early childhood education is an important factor in later success in school. Carolyn supports universal, affordable, and high-quality early learning opportunities for every child. This can be accomplished through a combination of tax credits, strengthening and expanding Head Start and Early Head Start, as well as partnering with states to offer universal pre-K for three and four year olds.