Washington, D.C. — It would be hard to overemphasize how pivotal a role the United States’ education system plays in the realization of the American dream. Together, this multilayered system of child care centers, schools, colleges, and universities serves millions of students with the shared goal of fostering opportunity, strengthening the nation, and centering the American values of inclusion and belonging.
A comprehensive new policy blueprint from the Center for American Progress offers a progressive vision for education policy that will help America meet the challenges of this century. The report features four chapters containing a menu of policy recommendations to help strengthen educational opportunity across early childhood education, K-12 education, higher education, and workforce development.
Key policy recommendations include:
- Supporting the passage of bold child care legislation such as the Child Care for Working Families Act to establish consistent funding for early care and learning programs
- Bolstering educator recruitment, development, and retention, including by focusing on continued state efforts to increase teacher pay
- Moving away from debt-financed higher education and toward more direct funding from federal, state, and local governments
- Establishing a national workforce trust to sustainably fund training and education programs into the future
“At its foundation, the American education system is meant to ensure that a quality education remains affordable and accessible for every family, every worker, and every person looking to grab hold of the American dream,” said Jared Bass, senior vice president for the Education department at CAP and co-author of the report. “While we’ve made significant progress, it will take the diligent work of progressive champions seizing every opportunity to help make progress in education in the years and decades to come.”
Read the report: “A Progressive Vision for Education in the 21st Century”
For more information or to speak with an expert, contact Mishka Espey at [email protected].