United States Senator John Cornyn, Texas

"A good education system helps strengthen our society by teaching and instructing young adults, giving them a strong foundation that will help them learn and succeed as citizens and individuals. Every child deserves the good start that is best achieved through a first-class education."

                                                -- Senator John Cornyn

• The public school system is the bedrock of our K-12 education efforts, and I support policies that strengthen it along with the entire education system.
• I believe that all parents - regardless of race or socio-economic status - should have the opportunity to select a school that will better meet their children's needs and improve their future.
• While federal funding can be used to improve the education system, we must not forget that local decisions and local control are the keys to improving our education system. We must allow local school boards greater flexibility to reduce regulation and use federal funds as they see fit, rather than mandating national standards and curricula.
• Local schools need to be held accountable by testing for real results.

Senator Cornyn's Accomplishments include:

• Reforming & Improving No Child Left Behind: Introduced the Academic Partnerships Lead Us to Success Act (A-PLUS) in the 110th Congress which would make key reforms to No Child Left Behind (NCLB).  A-PLUS would give states flexibility to consolidate federal education programs and funding and redirect these resources to result-oriented state education initiatives. Currently, the U.S. Department of Education forces states to use federal education funds on specific programs in an approach that has shown little success.
• Providing New Opportunities for Families to Save for College: Cosponsored the College 529 Invest in Education Savings for Tomorrow Act of 2005 which helps families save for future college costs.
• Supporting Increased Aid for Students Studying Math and Science: Supported the creation of a new, five-year, $4.5 billion education grant program that awards competitive grants for students pursuing a degree or major in the fields of math or science. 
• Promoting Physical Education & Health for Schoolchildren in Texas: Strong supporter of the Carol M. White Physical Education Grant Program which helps school districts to combat the epidemic of childhood obesity by providing funds for equipment, support and the training and education of teachers and staff.  
• Supporting Technology Improvements at Minority Institutions: Cosponsored the Minority Serving Institution Digital and Wireless Technology Opportunity Act of 2005 to increase funding for technology at Hispanic Serving Institutions and Historically Black College and Universities. 
• Promoting Hispanic Education Initiatives: Cosponsored the Next Generation Hispanic Serving Institutions Act which reauthorizes the Hispanic Serving Institution’s (HSI) program. Senator Cornyn worked with the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities and the Senate HELP Committee to eliminate the 2-year wait-out period for HSIs applying for Title V grants.