College Affordability:

Lori Trahan believes that high quality, public education is the key to unlocking our nation’s true economic potential, creating new opportunities, and ensuring that the American Dream is still attainable for all. Lori will help to improve and offer support for improving our public schools and universities for students, teachers, and parents.

Higher-education and student loans shouldn’t be a barrier to achieving your dreams:

• Explore solutions through federal-state partnership to aid employers who help pay down an employee’s student loans.
  
• Expand targeted aid and grants for students who can’t afford the price of college.
• Continuing education options that are local, convenient, and affordable for working people and those who are transitioning to new careers.
• Making higher education accessible and affordable. Too many of our young people are saddled with gross amounts of debt that put them on the wrong economic path in adulthood.
• Hold private universities accountable for student loan debt. The cost structure of private institutions has escalated to epic proportions. Lori believes that we need to incentivize these institutions to focus as heavily on job readiness and placement as they do on admissions, holding those schools with student loan default rates far above the national average accountable.

K-12 Education:

Lori Trahan believes that every child regardless of his or her background should have access to a quality public education. We need to look at educational opportunity for our children by helping to provide schools and teachers with every tool and resource that students in the 21^st century need to succeed. 

In Congress, Lori will:

• Increase teacher pay and collective bargaining rights. Protecting and investing in our teachers and providing more money for professional training will help provide our education system with a stronger foundation and also provide students with more resources and a fairer shot in this competitive economy.
• Invest in wrap-around programs and ensure our most vulnerable schools and students receive an equitable education. Your zip-code shouldn’t define your success. Investing in wrap-around programs will help serve diverse populations across this district so that students of all backgrounds have the opportunity to succeed. Lori supports increasing Title I funding for our low-income schools and also support the Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act and Community Eligibility Provision, which subsidize healthy meals for children.
• Fully and adequately fund the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The average per pupil expenditure has dramatically increased since the advent of the IDEA. In Congress, we need to account for innovation and the different barriers that exist in 2018 to appropriately fund the IDEA. Local districts are struggling to pay for needed services under a student’s IEP. Fully funding the IDEA will help relieve the burden on local communities and also widen the circle of opportunity for students with disabilities.
• Promote early exposure to trade, vocational, and apprenticeship programs. There is no question that vocational education leads to good-paying jobs. Lori believes that the federal government should partner with state governments and collaborate to design programs that expose students to more pathways to success at an early age, so they can find the one that works for them.

Early Childhood Education:

Lori Trahan believes that one of the greatest investments this country can make is in a strong early childhood education system. Research has shown that investments in early education reap valuable life-long benefits and that children exposed to quality early education are more likely to graduate from high school, own homes, and have higher earning potential for later in life.

Investing in early education is a priority and in Congress, Lori will:

• Support free and accessible full-day Kindergarten. It’s clear, universal full-day kindergarten will not only help our overall economy, but it will also help close the achievement gap. Closing the achievement gap will help level the playing field for all students.
• Promote affordable and accessible early childhood care and pre-K services. Congress needs to take action on helping families afford these services. No family should have to break the bank so that their child can receive a high-quality pre-K education.