Political Quotes

“Mr. President, we know that the quality of teachers and principals are two of the most important in-school factors related to student achievement. Yet the pipeline into the profession is in disrepair. A report from the American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education showed that the number of education degrees awarded peaked at 200,000 per year in the 1970s and has dwindled to fewer than 100,000 today. This is at a time when all fifty States have reported experiencing statewide teacher shortages in at least one teaching area for the 2016-17 or 2017-18 school year. If we want to improve our schools, it is essential that we invest in the professional preparation of teachers, principals, and other educators. As such, today, I am reintroducing the Educator Preparation Reform Act with my colleagues Senators Casey and Coons to ensure that the Federal government continues to be a partner in addressing this critical national need. The impact of educator shortages falls the hardest on our most vulnerable students in our highest need communities. Rhode Island is no exception, with Providence, the largest school district, facing an acute shortage of teachers certified to teach English language learners. My home State has also reported shortages in special education, science, math, world languages, and school nurses. We cannot solve this problem without improving both teacher and principal preparation.…”