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Washington, D.C. - May 6 –12 is Teacher Appreciation Week, a time for honoring teachers and recognizing the lasting contributions they make to our lives. This year, schools and parent associations across the country will be rallying around the theme, “Great Teachers Make Great Public Schools.”
Everyone in our community benefits when our education system works. Strengthening support and respect for teachers are two key ways we can improve public education.
One way I have worked to support educators is by encouraging more young people to enter the teaching profession, especially in areas such as science and math, where we face shortages of well-prepared staff.
As a senior member of the science committee, one bill I recently supported boosts incentives for college students to pursue math and science teaching degrees and later teach in underserved schools. Once implemented, it will create 10,000 teachers capable of touching 10 million young minds nationwide.
Ultimately, the bill we passed aims to increase the number of highly qualified math and science teachers across the board, but it is especially important in high-needs schools which suffer from a shortage of well-prepared teachers. Here, those students who need skilled teachers the most are too often asked to make do with the least.
But it is also critical to keep building teachers’ skills once they enter the classroom. So I also worked through the science committee to provide them with more opportunities to learn and receive continuing training. To that end, the 10,000 Teachers, 10 Million Minds bill also authorizes $1.5 billion for federal scholarships and continuing education programs for current math and science teachers.
My colleagues and I in Congress have also prioritized education in our annual budget resolution. One of the top priorities of the fiscally-responsible budget passed by the House in March was to put our children and families first by increasing investments in schools and expanding access to a high-quality education for all of America’s children.
Our budget reverses the Administration’s policy of under-investing in education for our children. It rejects the President’s proposal to cut funding for the Department of Education by $1.5 billion below the 2007 enacted level and to eliminate 44 different programs. Instead, our budget provides for new investments in vital programs such as Head Start, special education (IDEA), Title I and other programs under the No Child Left Behind Act.
Overall, the House budget provides for investments of nearly $8 billion more for 2008 and 11 percent more over the next five years for education and training than the President’s budget.
We are determined to ensure that our teachers have the tools and resources they need to give our children the high-quality education necessary to succeed in this increasingly competitive global economy. That means starting with high-quality pre-school education, which we expanded and improved in a bill that passed the House last week. That goal also demands wise investments in K-12 education and support for post-secondary students who will become tomorrow’s educators.
Every member of the community can show support and appreciation for teachers as well. Parents can help by reinforcing lessons learned at school and taking an active interest in what and how children are learning. Non-parents can serve as tutors and volunteers to relieve some of the burdens from large classes and hectic schedules. All residents can cast their vote in support of officials, budgets and policies that improve educational opportunity.
Resources invested now will pay dividends many times over and well into the future. We owe our children and grandchildren no less than well-prepared, well-supported teachers who can help them reach their fullest potential. The more we help educators, the more able they will be to help our students succeed.
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