Reps. Sykes, Adams, Gallego Introduce the EDUCATORS For America Act
WASHINGTON, D.C. — In an effort to raise student achievement in the classroom, and rebuild the educator pipeline, U.S. Representatives Emilia Strong Sykes (OH-13), Alma Adams (NC-12), Ruben Gallego (AZ-03), along with Sens. Jack Reed (D-RI), Bob Casey (D-PA), and Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) introduced H.R. 2992, the EDUCATORS for America Act. The EDUCATORS Act will invest in states and educators to improve the educator pipeline and create more career-ready teachers and school support staff.
“Every child in Northeast Ohio, no matter their background or where they live, deserves a high-quality education. The EDUCATORS for America Act will strengthen the educator pipeline to ensure all students and educators in Ohio’s 13th Congressional District have the resources and the tools they need to succeed academically and professionally,” said Rep. Sykes. “I’m proud to co-lead this comprehensive legislative package which will invest in our children and support the recruitment and retention of diverse, well-qualified educators across the country.”
“As an educator for forty years, I know how hard our educators work, and how important they are to the future of our country. Unfortunately, aspiring teachers are often discouraged by high student debt, low salaries, and the lack of institutional support,” said Rep. Alma Adams, a member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce. “We can’t let the Great Resignation and nationwide staffing shortages harm our children. That’s why the EDUCATORS for America Act is so important. If passed, this legislation will mobilize and support states and local communities in improving the educator pipeline so that all schools have the diverse educators they should have, to support student development and academic achievement. It will support educator preparation programs and partnerships and remove financial barriers to entering the education profession. Today’s labor market is confusing, but we can't wait for the next generation of teachers to appear: we must act to recruit and retain qualified, hard-working teachers in the classroom. That's why I'm proud to introduce the EDUCATORS for America Act with Senator Reed and my House colleagues as partners.”
“Educators are the foundation of our country's future, showing up day in and day out to ensure our children receive the education they deserve,” said Rep. Gallego. “Arizona is in the midst of a teacher shortage, and it is imperative we recruit a diverse, qualified educator workforce. I’m proud to co-lead the comprehensive EDUCATORS for America Act, which equips states and communities with the tools they need to build a strong and well-supported educator pipeline.”
The EDUCATORS for America Act reflects the input from stakeholders across the education field about what is needed to recruit, prepare, and support educators. It addresses early outreach and career exploration, clinical preparation for teachers, principals and other educators, financial assistance, faculty development, and capacity building at the state and local levels with a focus on ensuring equity and diversity.
Specifically, the EDUCATORS for America Act calls for:
- Authorizing $500 million annually for grants to support states in developing and implementing a statewide strategy for meeting their educator workforce needs, including ensuring an inclusive and equitable workforce that supports the recruitment, preparation, and retention of populations that are underrepresented in the field of education, including teachers of color, first-generation college students, and teachers with disabilities.
- Authorizing $500 million annually to support educator preparation programs and partnerships including:
- Updating and expanding the Teacher Quality Partnership Grant Program to focus on residency programs, strengthen the principal and school leader preparation programs, and enable partnerships to address the need for early childhood educators, school librarians, counselors, and other specialized support personnel.
- Reauthorizing the Honorable Augustus F. Hawkins Centers of Excellence Program to support Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority-serving institutions in expanding and strengthening their educator preparation programs.
- Providing recruitment and completion grants to educator preparation programs to ensure that students have the wrap- around supports they need to graduate.
- Establishing an education careers opportunity program to expose middle and high school students to the education profession.
- Increasing the capacity of educator preparation programs to meet the needs of the field, including supporting school leader development, faculty professional development and training, offering doctoral fellowships, and promoting innovation and resiliency.
- Streamlining the data and reporting requirements for teacher preparation programs to focus on key measures related to program quality and addressing identified workforce needs
- Removing financial barriers to entering the education profession by:
- Doubling the TEACH grants to $8,000 per year and providing additional protections and options to prevent the conversion of grants to loans.
- Including the costs of clinical experiences in the cost of attendance for awarding financial aid.
- Providing educators and teachers in high-needs fields credit towards loan repayment as they serve rather than waiting 5 to 10 years to earn forgiveness.
Schools across Ohio are facing an unprecedented shortage of teachers. Teacher shortages have impacted schools in Ohio’s 13th Congressional District, from large, urban districts like Akron Public Schools, to smaller, rural districts.
Organizations endorsing the bill include the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education; American Association of State Colleges and Universities; American Association of School Personnel Administrators; American Federation of School Administrators; American Federation of Teachers; American Occupational Therapy Association; American Psychological Association; American Society for Engineering Education; Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD); ASCD; ACTFL; Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL); Committee for Children; Council of Administrators of Special Education; Council for Exceptional Children; EDGE Consulting Partners; Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities; Higher Education Consortium for Special Education (HECSE); Learning Forward; National Association of Elementary School Principals; National Association of School Psychologists; National Association of Secondary School Principals; National Association of State Directors of Special Education (NASDSE); National Board for Professional Teaching Standards; National Center for Learning Disabilities; National Center for Teacher Residencies; National Council of Teachers of English; National Council of Teachers of Mathematics; National Education Association; National Indian Impacted Schools Association; National Institute for Excellence in Teaching; PDK International; Public Advocates; Public Advocacy for Kids; School Social Work Association of America; State Higher Education Executive Officers Association; STEM Education Coalition; Teach Plus; Teacher Education Council Of State Colleges And Universities; Teacher Education Division of the Council for Exceptional Children; The Arc of the United States; The California State University; Thurgood Marshall College Fund; UNCF (United Negro College Fund); University of Northern Iowa; and Vernier Software & Technology.