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Democratic

Carolyn Maloney

Rep. Maloney started her career as an ESL *English as a Second Language) teacher in East Harlem. When her program was cut, her colleagues elected her as their advocate to restore funding - and she succeeded, setting an example that has extended throughout her career, first working with the NYC Department of Education and then as a legislative staffer in Albany. After gaining that experience, in 1982 she ran a long-shot challenge to an incumbent City Council Member in a district that spanned East Harlem, South Bronx, Manhattan Valley, and Carnegie Hill - and she won an improbably upset.

Education

As a former educator, Congresswoman Maloney understands the importance of a quality education. She is a strong advocate for college affordability, investing in K-12 schools, and providing early childhood education for all families. She also is a national leader in the fight to prevent sexual assault on college campuses.

School investments: Throughout her career, Congresswoman Maloney has advocated for strong federal investment in schools, including Title I funds to help schools that serve low-income students and School Improvement Grants to turn around low-performing schools.

Early childhood education programs: Congresswoman Maloney has introduced the Prepare All Kids Act to promote the development of early-childhood education programs to make sure that all children arrive at Kindergarten prepared to learn. Today all students in New York City are eligible for pre-kindergarten at the age of four thanks to the efforts of the City and State governments. Congresswoman Maloney believes universal pre-k should be available to all students nationwide.

Affordable higher education: Congresswoman Maloney understands that one of the most effective ways we can ensure a strong future and address inequality is by making higher education widely accessible. She is an advocate of the Pell Grant, a government grant for college tuition, and other initiatives to provide all students with the chance at a college education. The Congresswoman has also cosponsored the Bank on Students Emergency Loan Refinancing Act. This legislation would allow federal and private student loan borrowers to refinance their existing student loans to lower interest rates, similar to those that are currently available to new student loan borrowers, thereby saving students and families thousands of dollars.

Campus safety: Every day, women across American college campuses face sexual assaults. Congresswoman Maloney believes it is everyone’s job to advocate for making college campuses safer for women. She introduced the Campus SAVE Act and the Campus Accountability and Safety Act, two bipartisan bills intended to achieve this goal and challenge universities to create safer environments.

Select Highlights

  • High school creation: In New York, Congresswoman Maloney worked to create new educational options for high-school students and relieve school overcrowding in lower grades. She co-chaired task forces that led to the creation of the Eleanor Roosevelt High School and PS 151. She also worked with her colleagues in government to create the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts High School, PS 78, PS 267 and the development of new facilities for other schools, including East Side Middle School, which moved to its new building in 2010.
  • Legislation: The Campus Sexual Violence Elimination Act, passed as part of the 2013 Violence Against Women Act reauthorization, holds college campus law enforcement agencies accountable by requiring annual reports on the number of sexual offenses on their campuses, so policymakers and activists can identify trends and best practices. The law also improves training for campus staff and clarifies standards for disciplinary procedures to improve accountability.