Education

Floridians are continuously trying to improve our schools, as can be seen by the constitutional amendments limiting class size and establishing free and universal pre-k. But these programs rely on adequate funding, which comes from a good partnership between the federal and local government. It also is important to have someone in Congress who views education as a top priority, and votes accordingly.

There is nothing more important to the strength and future of America than the strength of our education system -- and in order to strengthen that system, we must have a partnership with federal and local governments. Federal government seems to be shirking its end of the partnership by placing more responsibility on schools with fewer resources.

Accountability in our schools is a positive thing, but we need to both fix and fund the No Child Left Behind Act. Our children are our most important resource, and we should offer them the best education possible, from early childhood education and Head Start, to after school programs, to better schools and ensuring our classrooms stay less crowded. Ric Keller has voted for budgets that drastically cut education funding. I will stand up for Florida's children and make sure that the federal government provides resources our students need, not just regulations and unfunded mandates.