[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 220 (Wednesday, November 16, 2022)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 68591-68592]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-25051]


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                         Presidential Documents 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 220 / Wednesday, November 16, 2022 / 
Presidential Documents  

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 Title 3--
 The President

[[Page 68591]]

                Proclamation 10494 of November 10, 2022

                
American Education Week, 2022

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                During American Education Week, we celebrate the power 
                of public education and thank the educators and staff 
                who do so much to make our public schools the 
                cornerstone of our democracy, prosperity, and strength.

                America is founded on the beliefs that all people are 
                created equal and that with talent and hard work anyone 
                can get ahead. Our public schools make that possible. 
                For over a century since America made 12 years of 
                education universal, public schools have given us the 
                best-prepared workforce on the planet, the most 
                innovative industries, the most creative ideas, and the 
                strongest economy. A quality education has been a 
                ticket to the middle class, and our public schools have 
                been the centers of our communities--places to listen 
                and learn from each other, united around our shared 
                American ideals.

                In the wake of the pandemic, though, it is clearer than 
                ever that our schools and kids need more support. 
                Students have lost months of learning, and the latest 
                Nation's Report Card showed serious declines in math 
                and reading, even as heroic educators have sacrificed 
                so much to help students catch up. There are bright 
                spots across the country, but the truth is that even 
                before COVID-19, the United States had already dropped 
                behind other nations in early education and overall 
                attainment. The pandemic just made things worse.

                That is why my Administration fought so hard to pass 
                the American Rescue Plan, which provided a historic 
                $130 billion to help schools across the country reopen 
                safely, tackle learning loss, boost teacher pay, 
                increase mental health services, and expand afterschool 
                and summer programs. Since I took office, schools have 
                hired 328,000 new educators and staff and increased the 
                number of social workers, counselors, and school nurses 
                on hand to support students. Meanwhile, the Bipartisan 
                Infrastructure Law is investing historic amounts in our 
                Nation's roads, bridges, and communities. It will 
                replace America's lead pipes so children can turn on 
                the faucet at home or school and drink clean water. It 
                will deliver affordable, high-speed internet to every 
                family so no child has to sit in a fast-food parking 
                lot to get Wi-Fi for their homework. It will upgrade 
                schools' ventilation systems, saving energy. It will 
                phase in thousands of electric school buses, protecting 
                our kids from today's diesel bus fumes. At the same 
                time, we are working to keep our kids nourished and 
                safe, making it easier to concentrate in class. My 
                Administration released a national strategy to combat 
                hunger in America, which outlines a pathway to free, 
                healthy school meals for all children, millions of whom 
                are food insecure. Last summer, we passed the Nation's 
                first major gun safety bill in nearly 30 years, funding 
                mental health supports in schools, anti-violence 
                programs, and red-flag laws and expanding background 
                checks to help make sure every American school is safe.

                As we boost support for K-12 education, we also 
                acknowledge that 12 years of school is no longer enough 
                to compete in the 21st century--so my Administration is 
                taking historic steps to expand access to education 
                beyond high school, too. We are working with unions, 
                employers, and

[[Page 68592]]

                community groups to expand quality apprenticeship 
                programs. We have increased the maximum Pell Grant, 
                helping millions of low-income students cover more of 
                their college costs. We have invested billions of 
                dollars in Historically Black Colleges and 
                Universities, Tribal Colleges and Universities, and 
                Minority-Serving Institutions, such as Hispanic-Serving 
                Institutions. As working families continue to recover 
                from the strains associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, 
                we are easing the burden of student debt by forgiving 
                up to $20,000 in eligible Federal student loans for 
                anyone who earns less than $125,000 a year and 
                forgiving the entire loan balance for public school 
                teachers and other public servants who have made 
                payments for at least 10 years. Borrowers can apply for 
                one-time debt relief in a matter of minutes at 
                studentaid.gov. Borrowers who work in public service 
                can apply for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness at 
                studentaid.gov/pslf.

                At the same time, we have much more to do to provide 
                free, high-quality preschool for every three- and four-
                year-old, to boost resources for high-poverty Title I 
                schools, and to make affordable childcare available to 
                all working families. Our children are the kite strings 
                that hold our national ambitions aloft, and our public 
                education system gives them the tools they need to take 
                flight. This week, we honor all the educators, 
                counselors, nurses, cafeteria workers, bus drivers, 
                custodians, and other school staff who make such a 
                difference in our children's lives; and we recommit to 
                getting them the support needed to guarantee that every 
                child in America can reach their potential.

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of 
                the United States of America, by virtue of the 
                authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws 
                of the United States, do hereby proclaim November 13 
                through November 19, 2022, as American Education Week. 
                I invite all Americans to celebrate with appropriate 
                activities, events, and programs, and with gratitude 
                for all those who have made education their calling, 
                and who help learners of all ages and backgrounds reach 
                their full potential.

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                tenth day of November, in the year of our Lord two 
                thousand twenty-two, and of the Independence of the 
                United States of America the two hundred and forty-
                seventh.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2022-25051
Filed 11-15-22; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3395-F3-P