Jay Rockefeller: “today, I rise, along with my cosponsor, Senator DeWine, to reintroduce legislation called I TEACH, Incentives to Educate…”

“today, I rise, along with my cosponsor, Senator DeWine, to reintroduce legislation called I TEACH, Incentives to Educate America's Children Act of 2005. This legislation is an investment to support teachers in rural areas, and high poverty areas. It provides a $1,000 refundable tax credit for those teachers willing to serve in challenging schools. The bill also gives every teacher the chance to earn a refundable tax credit by offering a $1,000 refundable tax credit for every teacher who earns accreditation by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. A National Board Teacher in a rural school or high poverty school would receive a $2,000 credit which hopefully would promote retention of our best teachers. According to the most recent survey by the American Federation of Teachers, the average teacher salary is $45,771. While teacher salaries rose an average of 3.3 percent, the health insurance benefits spiked an average 13 percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The starting salary for a new teacher is estimated to be $30,496. Given the costs of college, the average student graduates with a debt of $19,400 and face loan payments of $210 a month, it is difficult for young, eager graduates to pursue careers in teaching and pay off their student debt and other living expenses. It is sad when a dedicated young person decides that they simply cannot ``afford'' to be a teacher, but this happens.…”