Jay Rockefeller: “today, I rise to reintroduce the Incentives to Educate American Children, or I TEACH, Act of 2014. With teacher…”

“today, I rise to reintroduce the Incentives to Educate American Children, or I TEACH, Act of 2014. With teacher retention rates on a steady decline nationwide, it is my hope that this legislation will encourage our best and brightest teachers to remain in the classroom. In the past two decades, the number of years of experience for the average teacher has decreased from 15 years to 5 years. Almost half of our education workforce today has less than ten years of experience. This is partly because teachers continue to be paid less than those employed in other fields, earning approximately 79 percent of the average wage of other workers with a bachelor's degree. In addition, their salaries have remained static since 2009, with the average starting salary for a new teacher estimated at just $36,141. At the same time, college debt levels continue to increase. The average student graduating in 2014 had $33,000 worth of student debt, making it difficult for young, eager graduates to pursue a career in teaching while paying down student loans and other living expenses. No dedicated young person should have to decide that they simply cannot ``afford'' to be a teacher, but this happens. If passed, the I TEACH Act would invest in our most critical educators by providing a $1,000 refundable tax credit to teachers serving in rural or high poverty schools.…”