Montana’s kids graduate from our public schools well-prepared for college. I will fight against anyone who pushes privatized schools that erode our legacy of public schools built for the public good. But our high school graduates deserve more than the false promise of a college education that entraps them in a lifetime of debt. That’s why, in the legislature, I brought forth legislation to end in-state student loan debt for working Montanans. In DC, I will fight for:
Student debt relief, so our generation can invest in our families and businesses just like previous generations
Federal funding/financing of apprenticeships and vocational schools at the same level as 4 year colleges
Ending crippling student debt for the next generation through a federal matching grant to public institutions in states with tuition-free public college through passage of the Debt-Free College Act
The Students Emergency Loan Refinancing Act
The Student Loan Borrowers' Bill of Rights Act
Expanding student loan repayment programs for those in National Service, like AmeriCorps
Federal investments to reduce class sizes
Universal access to pre-school education
Mental Healthcare For Students
Approximately one in five youth experience some type of mental health disorder that can cause significant challenges at home, school, and in their community. Yet, only 10 percent of U.S. children and adolescents ages 3 to 17-years-old receive any treatment or counseling from a mental health professional.
This is unacceptable, and we must demand action now. We need our elected leaders to step up and take the charge to fight for mental health equality. From a lack of parity enforcement to ghost insurance networks, it is too hard for many to get the help they desperately need. That is why I support passage of the Mental Health Services for Students Act of 2019, which will:
Help schools partner with community mental health professionals, including child and adolescent psychiatrists, to provide on-site behavioral and mental health services for K-12 students that is trauma-informed and evidence-based;
Provide appropriate professional development to school personnel to help recognize the early signs of mental or behavioral health issues;
Help local communities develop policies to assist students in dealing with trauma and violence;
Establish mechanisms for children and adolescents to report incidents of violence or plans by other children, adolescents, or adults to commit violence.
