Bart Stupak: “the loan forgiveness programs under the Ford Direct Loan Program and Federal Family Education Loans encourage teaching…”

“the loan forgiveness programs under the Ford Direct Loan Program and Federal Family Education Loans encourage teaching professionals to take positions in low-income schools. Like teachers, qualified school administrators and principals are crucial to creating an effective learning environment. Unlike teachers, however, school administrators and principals at low-income schools are not given access to the same loan forgiveness programs. In fact, under current law, if a teacher is eligible for loan forgiveness but is promoted to an administrator or principal in that same school, the newly promoted teacher loses access to the loan forgiveness programs for which they were previously eligible. As a result, low-income school districts often have difficulty recruiting talented principals and administrators to their districts. My amendment would extend eligibility of the Ford Direct Loan Program and the Federal Family Education Loans to full-time school superintendents, principals, or other administrators after completing 5 consecutive school years in a school district in which at least 30 percent of the schools are defined as low income. This amendment is supported by the National Education Association, the National Association of Secondary School Principals, and by the American Association of School Administrators. Furthermore, the Congressional Budget Office has indicated that this amendment will not violate the pay-as-you-go rules.”