Education
Bolster the Department of Education
I will fight to restore the Department of Education and look to expand continuing education programs. With cuts to the federal Department of Education, those that need access to a robust education system are impacted the most (e.g. special education, in-school meals). The United States has become less competitive due to our lack of quality education. This is primarily impacting the next generation, however we also must pay attention to our aging workforce and help them adapt.
Education for all
Massachusetts leads the way in 21st century education and skills training, but we need to ensure we fund these objectives nationwide (and safeguard our existing funding). We must train today’s youth for tomorrow’s challenges. We need to prepare the next generation of workers for increasingly technical and AI-supplemented jobs. We need to ensure our workers know how to use AI, and are not replaced by it.
We must embrace different learning styles and skill sets. We need more engineers, scientists, and dreamers to follow their passions. I will support the funding of a technical education bill that gives high school students and young adults access to practical job training and sets up a framework for lifelong learning.
Artificial Intelligence
We are allowing technology to replace older and less informed employees. With leisure time and education becoming more expensive, it’s difficult to get ahead or upskill (especially if you have a family). We must guarantee access to continuing education programs and reward companies that provide these benefits for their employees.
Artificial Intelligence will and already is replacing workers. This October, 150,000 jobs were cut in the US, with those workers being replaced by automation and AI. AI cannot and should not replace complex thought or operations. We must train the next generation (and retrain existing workers) to work with AI. Generative AI can be a useful tool but it can also be dangerous for the student that uses it in place of research. We must train our denizens on safe use and establish a stronger regulatory framework for AI with ethics and mental health in mind.
Internet Access, Equity, and Safety
Finally, we must ensure that every American has access to high speed internet. I will fight to restore BEAD (Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment) and the Digital Equity Act.
With improved access, everyone must be abreast of the risks of using the internet and be better protected from growing cybersecurity risks from phishing (and similar attacks). Bad actors are getting smarter and bolder. We need to teach people of all ages how to be online safely and protect their personal information. An educated and informed public means stronger products and services produced at home. Protection from cyber attacks creates stronger infrastructure and financial security.