The long-overdue, bipartisan education reform bill, Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), received final passage today in Congress and is now headed to President Obama’s desk for signature. Read more »

U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (FL14) applauded yesterday’s passage of the bipartisan education reform bill in the U.S. House of Representative yesterday and encouraged Pinellas and Hillsborough School Districts to renew their focus on the achievement gap. The Every Student Succeeds Act replaces No Child Left Behind, which was overdue for reauthorization and reform. Democrats fought off radical cuts proposed by the GOP that would have cut $437 million from Florida public schools over the coming years. Read more »

Reducing the burden of student loan debt will encourage millennials to keep their talents in the Tampa Bay region and invest in our community by purchasing that new home or starting a small business. https://youtu.be/HCkuGUvhCWI Read more »

On Tuesday, Aug. 18, U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor sent a letter to Secretary of Education Arne Duncan regarding the Tampa Bay Times' report which raises very serious questions regarding Pinellas County Schools' use of Title I dollars. Read more »

Today, U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor announced that Tampa was selected as one of only 27 communities nationwide to participate in ConnectHOME, which promotes locally tailored solutions to help bridge the gap in digital access for working-class households by addressing the barriers they have to high-speed broadband. Read more »

Today the U.S. House of Representatives will consider the harmful Republican education overhaul that undermines the commitment to a quality education for all students across America. Republicans propose to slash overall education funding, including an unconscionable diversion of funds from working-class students to wealthier school districts -- perpetrating a reverse Robin Hood on the most disadvantaged children. Indeed, Hillsborough County Public Schools stands to lose $3.6 million in Title I funding this year alone, according to a White House report. Overall, the Republican bill proposes to slash an estimated $437 million from Florida public schools over the coming years. Read more »

Today, U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor strongly criticized the House Republican education overhaul, which would cut support for Florida students by a whopping $437 million through FY 2021. Read more »

Today, U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (FL14) announced that Hillsborough County Public Schools is one of 26 nationwide finalists for the U.S. Education Department’s $129 million Investing in Innovation (i3) 2014 competition aimed at developing innovative approaches to improve student achievement and replicating effective strategies across the country. Hillsborough County is scheduled to receive… Read more »

With last week’s U.S. Census report revealing that Tampa Bay ranks last among the country’s 25 largest metro areas when it comes to median household income, U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (D-Tampa/St. Petersburg, FL) said today that investments in transportation and related job training will help provide a pipeline to higher wage employment. “The Tampa Bay community must stay focused on… Read more »

Strategies to combat rising college costs and crushing college debt plaguing today’s students are imperative to building an economy that works for everyone, not just the wealthy. Today, U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (D-Tampa/St. Petersburg, FL) hailed the passage of bipartisan legislation to strengthen financial counseling to ensure families receive the information they need to better understand their college financing options and reduce the burden of student debt. Read more »