Education

As someone who has volunteered countless hours in classrooms throughout Southeastern North Carolina, Mike knows that there is nothing more important to our nation’s future than making sure that all of our children have the knowledge and skills necessary to compete and succeed in a global economy.  He supports efforts to reduce class size and to build and renovate our schools, and he is working to bridge the Digital Divide by providing computers and technology in the classroom. Our children need and deserve quality teachers and administrators, and Mike supports more funding for their recruitment and training.

Mike is also working to expand higher education opportunities through increased funding of Pell Grants and scholarship opportunities.  He has supported legislation cut interest on student loans in half, and he co-sponsored the new GI Bill to give our servicemen and women updated benefits for a college education in return for their unselfish service to our country.

Mike supports Impact Aid to help the children of military families, full funding of IDEA to help children with special needs, full funding for programs to help nurture the academically gifted and talented, and he has worked to strengthen the teaching of science, math, engineering, civics and character education in our schools.

Mike has secured federal support for the superior network of institutions of higher education in Southeastern North Carolina, including community colleges and four-year colleges and universities. As a member of the Community College Caucus, Mike will continue to serve as a champion for these institutions, which serve an important role in creating economic opportunity for the people of our region.