“Education, beyond all other devices of human origin, is the great equalizer of the conditions of [people], the balance-wheel of the social machinery.” Horace Mann, 19th Century Public Education Reformer from Massachusetts

As parents stayed home and children learned in front of screens during the pandemic, flaws in our public education system have only been exacerbated. Some children still have no access to computers or broadband. Many students with essential worker parents struggled with no adults to help with at-home learning. College students fell further into debt while missing out on many in-person experiences that are key to college life, and teachers have been balancing lesson plans for online learning and in-person teaching simultaneously. It’s been difficult, to say the least. Ending the digital divide, whether based on geography, economic status, disability challenges, or the institutionalized racial inequities we must still battle every day, every student in the Commonwealth deserves access to high-quality public education.

Paul knows the importance of access and opportunity. He’ll work to create debt-free higher education options for all, focus on more vocational training and workforce development, and ensure teachers and districts get the resources they desperately need by fixing the Chapter 70 funding formula. This includes fully reimbursing regional transportation costs, offering rural sparsity aid, and funding the many state mandates that are currently languishing with no fiscal support–despite being required by law.