Congressman Dingell listens to Luke Dahn, a student in Lincoln Elementary's Head Start Program.

Because public schools educate 90 percent of all American children, Congressman Dingell strongly believes that Congress should do all it can to ensure that our public education system is provided the tools needed to train our children. Public schools are facing serious challenges such as increased enrollment, the need to hire new teachers, aging facilities and changing technology. In the face of these challenges, Congressman Dingell believes we must dedicate ourselves to improving public schools.

School budget cuts are also a huge problem facing our schools. One of the reasons for these state budget cuts is the lack of federal funding for laws like the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). The federal government made a deal with the states when Congress passed NCLB in 2001. Congress would set challenging standards, but it would also help the states meet them. The federal government, however, has not come up with its share of the high cost of such a sweeping reform, leaving the states to pick up the tab.

Currently, NCLB is operating under a temporary extension. It is expect that during the 111th Congress, the Administration and Congress will work together to review and reauthorize this important legislation. Although Congressman Dingell does not serve on the Education and Labor Committee, he will be watching carefully to ensure that the reauthorization legislation addresses the concerns of state and local educators.

Another focus for Congressman Dingell is expanding access to higher education. Mr. Dingell has consistently supported increasing the Pell Grant, first in the 2007 College Cost Reduction Act, then in the Higher Education Reauthorization Act, and more recently in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Today’s students are increasingly taking on higher loan debts, working longer hours or in some cases forgoing college altogether. Congressman Dingell believes increasing access to higher education is critical to the development of a highly skilled workforce, which will ensure that America remains competitive in the global marketplace.

The 15th District is home to many wonderful universities and colleges: the University of Michigan, University of Michigan-Dearborn, Concordia University, Eastern Michigan University, Henry Ford Community College, Monroe County Community College, Washtenaw Community College and Wayne County Community College. Given the recent downturn in the economy and the turmoil in the financial markets, Congressman Dingell will continue to work with his colleagues to ensure that all students who want to attend college are financially able to do so.