Education

Foster Care and Families:

When I was 5, my mother and I left an abusive home in the middle of the night. Growing up, I was in and out of battered women’s shelters. Although those years were some of the most challenging in my life, I knew I had my mom by my side every step of the way. 

Unfortunately, my story is not the same for the thousands of children in foster care today. The foster care system has seen children that are taken away from their homes in preventable circumstances and situations in which foster children become runaways and cannot be located. I believe that there are ways to address these issues and ensure that our nation’s foster youth receive the care that they deserve.

I have sponsored the following:

  • Find and Protect Foster Youth Act
  • Communities Advancing Reunification Efforts Act

Education: 

I believe that all students deserve a quality education that is tailored to their unique needs. Parents and families understand their children more than the federal government, which is why I support allowing families to access the educational model that is best for their children: traditional public schools, charter schools, home schools, private academies, or other models that they may find suitable. 

I also believe that students unique needs must be met at the higher education level. Students must be able to access the type of program that best suits them, whether that be a trade school, community college, or a traditional four-year degree program.

I have cosponsored various bills to address these concerns, including:

  • The Parents Bill of Rights Act
  • The Educational Choice for Children Act
  • The Tax-Free Pell Grant Act
  • The Raising Expectations with Child Opportunity Vouchers for Educational Recovery Act
  • The Reaching English Learners Act

School Safety and Mental Health:

Our students deserve to feel safe in their schools. As a father of 6, my top priority is to ensure that school is a haven for our children. I support a comprehensive approach to school safety that involves addressing mental health and equipping staff, law enforcement, and students with the resources necessary to stop the violence before it happens. This is why I have supported measures that address school security and mental health. 

  • Introduced the Undertaking Needed Investments in Therapy, Education, and De-Escalation Act of 2022
  • Introduced Achieving Thorough Transparency and Accessibility for Information Navigation on Mental Health Act 
  • Cosponsored the Eagles Act
  • Cosponsored the Alyssa’s Legacy in Schools Safety Alert (ALYSSA) Act
  • Cosponsored the Strengthening Our Schools Act
  • Formed and serve as a Co-Chair of the Bipartisan School Safety and Security Caucus 
  • Held roundtable discussions with experts in school security and mental health and local school personnel from Texas
  • Serve as a Co-Chair of the Green Light Grants Initiative Advisory Board

 

For more information concerning work and views related to Education, please contact my office.