Washington, D.C. - Education is the key to opportunity. I believe in an America that offers the best possible education to all of our children and young people - wherever they live, whatever their background.

Indeed, the number-one concern of America's parents is the quality of the education that their children receive. That is why I am working with others in Congress to enact a five-part initiative to strengthen our schools, expand educational opportunity and address the concerns of our nation's parents.

One key concern of parents is that college tuition is skyrocketing and becoming less and less affordable. Over the last three years, tuition at four-year public universities has increased by 38 percent and at private universities by 16 percent. At a time when tuition is rising, the purchasing power of Pell Grants has declined - covering 23 percent of average public college costs, compared to 35 percent a few years ago. This is leading to more and more students graduating from college with excessive levels of debt.

Our initiative would significantly expand access to an affordable college education for our young people. First, it would expand access to college scholarships and increase Pell Grants by as much as $1,000 per student. It would also make college loans significantly less expensive by lowering the interest rate cap, and allowing students to choose a fixed or variable rate on their consolidation loans, which would save the typical borrower more than $5,500 over the life of a loan. Furthermore, our initiative would provide incentives to public and private colleges to make tuition more affordable.

A second key concern of parents is the quality of their child's teacher. Our nation's teachers work hard to ensure that children are provided a high quality education. And yet schools serving millions of schoolchildren cannot find or retain enough highly skilled teachers.

Our initiative would increase the supply of outstanding teachers in our schools by providing financial incentives to encourage excellent teachers to enter and remain in the profession. It would also elevate the teaching profession by promoting the establishment of career advancement ladders that encourage teachers to take on new professional roles such as mentor and master teachers. In addition, it would ensure that children have teachers with expertise in the subjects they teach and provide extra incentives for those who teach subjects in which there are shortages.

Third, America's parents also expect the Congress to keep its promises. The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 imposed numerous requirements on our schools to raise the achievement levels of all students and also provided increased federal resources to carry out the new mandates. But to my great disappointment over the last four years, Congress has provided $39 billion less to schools than promised by the No Child Left Behind Act.

Our initiative would require the Congress to keep its promises by fully funding the No Child Left Behind Act. We must provide struggling schools across the country with the resources needed to raise student achievement.

A fourth key concern of our nation's parents is that America is trying to educate too many of its schoolchildren in dilapidated, unsafe and outdated school buildings. According to the Department of Education, more than 75 percent of public schools need to spend an average of $3,800 per student to be brought into good overall condition.

Our initiative would provide matching resources to local communities for the construction, modernization, and repair of school buildings. This focus would help assure parents that their children are being educated and cared for in safe environments conducive to learning.

Finally, a key concern of parents is that young children have access to high-quality pre-kindergarten programs. Parents know that everyone benefits when children enter school ready to achieve and succeed. Young children are eager to learn and their brains grow faster before age 5 than in any other point in their lives.

Our initiative would help to meet the needs of parents by assisting states to establish, expand and enhance pre-kindergarten programs.

We must invest in these initiatives to boost college affordability, improve teacher quality, fully fund No Child Left Behind, modernize our schools, and expand preschool opportunities. Improving education is crucial to ensuring that our children and grandchildren lead fulfilling, successful lives. Education is the key to America's future. We must do all we can to make sure as many people as possible have access to a college education and the many opportunities the experience provides.

(Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard's office offers a wide variety of services to the community, including financial aid workshops, a service academy workshop, a scholarship directory, a community health fair and constituent casework services to assist district residents in resolving problems with federal agencies such as the Internal Revenue Service, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the Social Security Administration. More information about federal services can be obtained by visiting Congresswoman Roybal-Allard's web site at www.roybal-allard.house.gov or by calling her district office at (213) 628-9230.)

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