John, can you believe it's already back-to-school season? It feels like summer was beginning just yesterday, and yet here we are.

My boys are fully grown now, but today I'm remembering what it was like to send them to school every fall. Even though work kept me busy in Washington, I was able to take the Amtrak home every night so that I could be there for those special moments – making sure they had all their notebooks, pencils, and folders; buying food for lunches; trying (and sometimes failing) to get them back on an early bedtime schedule; and watching them squeeze every moment of fun out of those last few days of summer vacation.

I remember those moments fondly, but these days, it feels like there's more for parents to worry about with each new school year.

School supplies, clothes, and lunches are becoming too expensive. Parents are worrying about whether their kids will get sick at school. Many students are struggling to catch up from the chaos of the last few school years. Right-wing radicals in state legislatures all over the nation are pushing their dangerous ideologies in our classrooms and telling teachers how to teach. And there's an unchecked gun violence epidemic terrorizing our schools, our kids, and our communities.

Times can be tough for kids, parents, teachers, and anyone who cares about the future of our country.

It's up to my colleagues and me, here in Washington, to fix all of these problems facing families and get our country back on track. But we can't do that without hearing from the people who are impacted. That's why I'm reaching out to you: Whether you're a parent, a grandparent, or someone who cares about America's kids, I want to hear from you. Please, will you take just a couple minutes to participate in my Back-to-School Priorities Survey to tell me what issues you and your family are worried about this school year?

I can't wait to dig into your responses and bring these findings back to my Democratic colleagues in the Senate. Thank you so much for participating.

Warmly,

Tom