American Education Renewal Plan

If we can’t pay student teachers, we’re pricing working people out of the profession and then acting surprised when classrooms can’t hire.

- Strengthen the teacher pipeline through teacher residencies, grow-your-own programs, and paid student teaching stipends so future educators can enter the profession without financial barriers.

- Support recruitment and preparation by covering licensure fees, expanding mentorship programs, and increasing access to training in high-need subjects like math, science, and special education.

- Improve retention through federal-state partnerships that help raise teacher pay, protect planning time, and reduce unnecessary administrative workload or handholding of students.

Ensure every child enters school ready to learn and reads proficiently by the end of third grade through expanded early learning access and evidence-based literacy support.

- Expand access to high-quality universal pre-K through federal-state matching grants, prioritizing areas with childcare deserts.

- Guarantee strong K–3 reading foundations with universal screening, evidence-based instruction, and targeted supports like tutoring and summer learning. Promoting 3rd-grade reading level to advance to 4th-grade standards across states.

- Back families and educators with take-home books, parent literacy resources, and professional development aligned to the science of reading.

We must rebuild and modernize America’s public school facilities so every student learns in a safe, healthy, future-ready building—no matter their zip code.

- Set a national standard and funding for safe, functional school buildings so students are not learning in classrooms with broken heating and cooling, outdated electrical systems, overcrowding, or basic facility problems.

- Build healthy, resilient schools with clean air, safe drinking water, climate-ready construction, and energy-efficient upgrades that lower long-term costs.

- Future-proof every campus for learning and workforce readiness by modernizing standard and technical skill classes, as well as ensuring every school can support advanced technology and real-world training.

Ensure every student graduates with a clear, supported pathway to a good-paying career, whether through college, skilled trades, or workforce credentials.

- Connect schools to local economies by partnering with businesses, unions, and community organizations to provide hands-on training and industry-recognized credentials.

- Expand real career pathways in high school through apprenticeships, internships, dual credit, and strong Career and Technical Education programs aligned to local and national workforce needs.

- Make career training available to every student by expanding access in rural, low-income, and underserved communities where programs are often limited.

Ensure every student has access to the mental health support they need to succeed in school and in life by expanding school-based services, strengthening early intervention, and building safe, supportive learning environments.

- Increase school-based mental health staff by 1 for every 500 students (with a minimum of 1) alongside expanding access to counselors, psychologists, and social workers in every community.

- Strengthen early support systems with increased screening options, prevention programs, and partnerships with local healthcare providers so each student gets the tools they need to succeed as soon as possible.

- Create safe, supportive school environments through promotion of trauma-informed practices, behavioral supports, and reduced reliance on punitive discipline.

Make higher education and workforce training more affordable by expanding access to community college, public colleges, and career credentials while rewarding national service.

- Expand college affordability through stronger Pell Grants, federal-state partnerships for tuition-free community college, and lowering student loan burdens to a 5% flat fee on the loan rather than interest-based

- Reward public service with public education by providing tuition-free years at public colleges and universities for students who complete AmeriCorps service, which can help streamline career determination and practice.

- Frontload career credentials into college pathways so students can start working in their field—and getting paid—before they graduate.

Ensure students in rural and under-served communities have the same access to high-quality education, resources, and opportunities as students in any other part of the country.

- Close funding and resource gaps by strengthening federal support for districts facing higher transportation, secondary staffing, and facility costs.

- Expand access to more courses through individualized learning tracks, distance and remote learning options, along with shared regional programs.

- Support flexible scheduling, transportation for after-school programs, and funding for participation costs so every student can actually take part in advanced courses and activities.