ATLANTA — Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate Rand Knight unveiled his proposal for education policy.

“Education is the foundation of our future,” Knight said. “As a U.S. senator, I will constantly work for higher standards and accountability in education and I will ensure that funding is actually disbursed when it is included in legislation.”

The incumbent senator, Saxby Chambliss, earned a failing grade by the National Education Association due to his votes on a number of education-related pieces of legislation in the 110th Congress.

“Sen. Chambliss voted to cut education funding, he voted against expanding health care coverage for children, and he voted against a minimum wage increase,” Knight said.  “It’s clear that Sen. Chambliss is out of touch with the issues that are currently affecting families in Georgia. Students can’t learn when they don’t have adequate resources or are unhealthy, and parents cannot take care of their children if they have to work multiple jobs to make ends meet.”

The son of a former public school teacher and father to two young children, Knight’s education proposals treat learning as a lifelong process. As a senator, Knight said he would sponsor legislation to:

• Invest in early childhood education

• Reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, without the re-authorization of No Child Left Behind

• Raise teachers’ salaries and the minimum wage

• Fund teacher trainings

• Expand children’s health insurance

• Support student loans

Knight proposes funding education policies by building a tax base in Georgia and the U.S. through an endeavor called the “Green Deal.” The Green Deal is a plan to invest in creating new jobs focused on moving the U.S. into an era of energy independence and would include employment in sectors such as renewable energy and mass transportation. Such jobs would pay a prevailing wage, be union friendly, and could not be sent overseas, which would create a substantial revenue base.