Political Quotes

“Madam President, it is time for a national investment in building a strong and resilient educator pipeline to ensure that all schools have the diverse, profession-ready teachers, principals, librarians, counselors, and other specialized instructional support personnel they need to support student development and academic achievement. Today, along with Senators Casey, Lujan, Van Hollen, Wyden, Stabenow, Merkley, and Heinrich, I am reintroducing the EDUCATORS for America Act to provide the blueprint for building this pipeline. I am pleased that Representative Alma Adams is introducing a companion bill in the other body. For years, we have seen declines in enrollment in educator preparation programs. Now in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, schools are facing pervasive staffing shortages. An Education Week survey found that 40 percent of school district leaders and principals describe the shortages as ``severe'' or ``very severe.'' The National Association of Secondary School Principals reported that nearly 4 out of 10 principals expect to leave the profession in the next 3 years. We cannot afford to neglect the educator pipeline any longer. As we work to replenish the ranks of our educators, we also have the opportunity to advance diversity in the profession. Multiple studies have shown that racial diversity can provide significant benefits to students. However, the gap between the demographic makeup of the student body and the education profession has been widening.…”