Political Quotes

“The letter, in part, states: On behalf of the National Education Association's (NEA) 2.6 million [teachers], we would like to express our support for your amendment to the Senate tax bill to provide tax benefits for educators' professional development and classroom supply expenses. Our great President sent to the Congress the message--which is the title of his education reform blueprint--``No Child is Left Behind.'' We cannot hope to achieve the goals in this guide, and the goals across our Nation, which every town, village, and city wish to have to improve education, leaving no child behind, if we leave our teachers behind. We will not leave any child behind if we do not leave teachers behind. That is the point. You cannot have one without the other. They go hand in hand. I stopped to think how hard we work on our individual careers. Yes, we work on our careers. But teachers work to create--to create--the possibilities for others, the younger generation, to develop those careers. My colleague from Maine has, in great detail, gone into the various parts of this bill, our President, on page 13 of his education reform blueprint, has a provision which says as follows: . . . provides tax deductions for teachers. Teachers will be able to make tax deductions of up to $400 to help defray the costs associated with out-of-pocket classroom expenses such as books, school supplies, professional enrichment programs, and other training.”