K-12 Public Education: The Great Equalizer

Sam believes public education is a public good that must be funded and protected. He supports the federal government’s essential role in ensuring equal access to quality education for all children, regardless of zip code or background, including enforcing civil rights laws in schools.

Sam supports funding Title I programs for low-income students and special education through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, a federal law that guarantees children with disabilities the right to a free, appropriate public education in the “least restrictive” environment possible. It covers services from birth through age 21 and requires schools to develop individualized education programs (IEPs) for eligible students and is the primary federal law governing special education in the US.

Sam further opposes voucher programs that divert public funds to private and religious schools, weakening the system that the majority of American children depend on. In Congress, he will fight to fully restore funding to the Office of Civil Rights and the Office of Special Education, cuts to which are an assault on the most vulnerable students.