Tim reads to children at Hawthorne Elementary in SD

Throughout my service in public office, both at the state and federal level, I have worked to make sure our children receive quality early education, elementary and secondary education, and have access to affordable and quality post-secondary education, be it college, university, or vocational training.

The federal role in elementary and secondary education is limited so that the states maintain control. The federal government only funds approximately 8% of K-12 education nationwide. Despite this limited role, I have been a strong supporter of initiatives to reduce classroom size, fully fund the federal obligation to special education, repair our crumbling schools, and give our teachers the tools they need to help children succeed. I know that South Dakota education officials and educators are working very hard to meet the requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act. I will continue to work with teachers, administrators, and government officials in South Dakota and in Washington to achieve the best possible education for our children.

In October of 2003, I joined Senator Kent Conrad (D-ND) in requesting a Government Accountability Office (GAO) study to examine the unique challenges facing rural school districts. The following September, the nonpartisan GAO released that study, entitled "No Child Left Behind - Additional Assistance and Research on Effective Strategies Would Help Small Rural Districts." That report cited several specific challenges facing rural school districts. If you would like to view the report itself, please visit: http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d04734.pdf.

In order to make much needed improvement to NCLB, I have supported the No Child Left Behind Reform Act, S. 724. The bill provides much needed flexibility that educators across South Dakota have reported was missing from the initial program passed in 2002. I believe we need to make some basic changes to the underlying law to ensure a real difference and increase student achievement. Additionally, we must commit the necessary funding to the program so that states and school districts have the necessary resources to meet that target.

We also need to do more to increase college enrollment of students from rural areas in our state and across the country. I was proud to be a co-sponsor this spring of the College and University Rural Education (CURE) Act which provides additional grant funding to rural universities to increase the enrollment and graduation rates of students from rural areas. I also pushed to have this legislation included in the final version of the Higher Education Opportunity Act, which was signed by the President on August 14, 2008. The grants would be available to rural colleges and universities and their partners; school districts, non-profit organizations and local businesses in our state and throughout the nation to develop a number of outreach programs to rural areas. The bill authorizes $30 million in appropriations for the grants.

The grants can be used to assist students with information about college costs and financial aid options, assistance with college enrollment applications, and assistance with financial aid applications; create initiatives that provide such graduates and attendees access and exposure to campuses, classes, programs, and facilities of rural institutions of higher education. They can also be used to provide opportunities such as internships, community service, and other activities for students attending rural institutions of higher education.

Grants may also be used for the creation or strengthening of academic programs to prepare graduates of the rural institutions of higher education to enter into high-need occupations in the regional and local economies. Administration grants to colleges and private business partners to establish partnerships to employ students in rural areas and in high-need employment areas.

I strongly support the Higher Education Opportunity Act, which would expand access to higher education. The bill increases the Pell Grant maximum to $6000 in 2009 and to $8000 for 2014. It also simplifies the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). It requires the Department of Education to immediately create a new, 2 page EZ-FAFSA for low-income students and to phase out the 7 page FAFSA for all students within 5 years.

The Higher Education Opportunity Act also expands protections for service members by allowing students who leave college for military service to re-enroll easily when they return from duty. The bill also provides an exemption for military benefits when a service member applies for federal grants and student loans to attend college.

South Dakota is home to some truly great colleges and universities, and I will continue to fight to ensure that all students who want a quality education can afford one without having to leave our state. For financial aid information, click here.

Quick link for Teachers:

Learn more on rural education by visiting the Mid-Continent Research for Education on Learning (McREL) site.

Quick link for Students:

Financial Aid information for high school students heading to college.

Quick link for Parents:

U.S. Department of Education: Homework Tips for Parents

SD Department of Education | National Parent Teacher Organization | SD Head Start Programs (Early Childhood Education) | Dakota Writing Project | Reach Out and Read | Learn about adoption