[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 213 (Thursday, December 9, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Page S9096]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. REED (for himself and Mr. Casey):
  S. 3360. A bill to reauthorize title II of the Higher Education Act 
of 1965, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Health, Education, 
Labor, and Pensions.
  Mr. REED. Mr. President, it is time for a national investment in 
building a strong and resilient educator pipeline to ensure that all 
schools have the diverse, profession-ready teachers, principals, 
librarians, counselors, and other specialized instructional support 
personnel they need to support student development and academic 
achievement. Today, along with Senator Bob Casey and Representative 
Alma Adams, I am introducing the Educators for America Act to provide 
the blueprint for building this pipeline.
  For years, we have seen declines in enrollment in educator 
preparation programs. Now in the wake of the pandemic, schools are 
facing pervasive staffing shortages. An Education Week survey found 40 
percent of district leaders and principals describe the shortages as 
``severe'' or ``very severe.'' The National Association of Secondary 
School Principals reported that nearly 4 out of 10 principals are 
expecting to leave the profession in the next 3 years.
  Moreover, the gap between the demographic makeup of the student body 
and the education profession is widening. Even though over 50 percent 
of students are people of color and that multiple studies have shown 
that racial diversity can provide significant benefits to students, a 
2016 Department of Education report showed that 82 percent of public 
school teachers identified as White, a figure that had barely changed 
since 2000.
  Simply put, we can no longer afford to neglect the educator pipeline.
  The Educators for America Act calls for a $1 billion annual 
investment in the educator pipeline, divided evenly between State 
capacity building and direct support for educator preparation programs 
and partnerships with high need school districts. It addresses the full 
pipeline from early outreach and career exploration to financial 
assistance and wraparound supports for those pursuing education careers 
to clinical preparation for teachers, principals, and other educators 
to faculty development, all with a focus on ensuring equity and 
diversity.
  Just as importantly, the Educators for America Act will reduce 
financial barriers to pursuing careers in education. The legislation 
will double the value of the TEACH grant to $8,000 per year and provide 
greater flexibility for meeting the service requirements. It 
establishes a new monthly credit for teachers, principals, and other 
educators towards repayment on their student loans so they earn loan 
forgiveness as they serve rather than watching their loan balances 
stagnate or grow for 5 to 10 years before receiving any benefit.
  The Educators for America Act reflects the input from stakeholders 
across the education field about what is needed to recruit, prepare, 
and support educators. To date, 45 organizations have endorsed it.
  The Nation's outlook for the future is tied to the strength of the 
education profession. Our economic prosperity, the health of our 
democracy and civic society, and our ability to meet the challenges of 
climate change and the information age depend on our students having 
access to well-prepared and supported educators who reflect the 
diversity of the students they serve.
  Today, the profession is in crisis. It is time to act. I urge my 
colleagues to cosponsor the Educators for America Act and work with me 
to get it passed into law.
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