[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 93 (Monday, May 13, 2024)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 41293-41294]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-10531]


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  Federal Register / Vol. 89 , No. 93 / Monday, May 13, 2024 / 
Presidential Documents  

[[Page 41293]]


                Proclamation 10750 of May 3, 2024

                
National Teacher Appreciation Day and National 
                Teacher Appreciation Week, 2024

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                Teachers are the heart and soul of our Nation. They 
                care for our Nation's students, pass on knowledge to 
                rising generations, and inspire our children to dream 
                up new possibilities for their futures. The power of a 
                great teacher is profound, and--on National Teacher 
                Appreciation Day and during National Teacher 
                Appreciation Week--we thank them for their tireless 
                efforts and recommit to taking care of our teachers, 
                just as they have taken care of all of us.

                Our Nation asks so much of our teachers, and that is 
                why my Administration supports them in all that we do. 
                Our American Rescue Plan provided historic funding for 
                schools to reopen safely after the pandemic so that 
                teachers could return to their classrooms. It also 
                delivered critical support for schools--from supporting 
                early childhood programs and funding after-school and 
                summer programs to hiring more teachers, counselors, 
                and school psychologists.

                We also passed the most significant bipartisan gun 
                safety law in nearly 30 years because teaching should 
                not be a life-threatening profession and teachers 
                should never be on the frontlines of the gun violence 
                epidemic. The law enhanced background checks for people 
                under the age of 21 and gave States funding to enact 
                red flag laws. At the same time, the law provided $1 
                billion to help schools hire and train mental health 
                counselors. But we need to do more--I continue to call 
                on the Congress to implement commonsense gun safety 
                laws that protect our kids and teachers.

                Teachers deserve so much more breathing room: As I said 
                in my State of the Union Address, let us give public 
                school teachers a raise. Let us help relieve them of 
                the student debt they took on to become teachers. My 
                Administration has already worked to take the crushing 
                weight of student debt off teachers' shoulders by 
                fixing the Public Student Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) 
                program. To date, we have canceled over $62.8 billion 
                in student debt for nearly 900,000 public service 
                workers, including teachers. That is up from the only 
                7,000 workers who had received PSLF when I took office.

                There is still much more to do to make sure our 
                teachers are fully supported. My Budget proposes 
                investing nearly $3 billion in teachers and other 
                educators, including $650 million to support pathways 
                into the profession, help keep great teachers in the 
                profession, and increase the diversity of the 
                profession. My Budget also proposes eliminating the 
                origination fees charged to borrowers on every new 
                Federal student loan, which would save the typical 
                teacher $1,000 or more throughout the repayment 
                process. Further, my Administration proposed a rule 
                that would boost Head Start teacher wages by $10,000 on 
                average, ensuring that they are getting the wages they 
                deserve.

                The First Lady has reminded me over the years that for 
                teachers, teaching is more than what they do--it is who 
                they are. That sense of purpose powers our Nation's 
                teachers every day--even through the long hours they

[[Page 41294]]

                spend setting up classrooms, preparing lesson plans, 
                and educating our future leaders. I have had the honor 
                of meeting so many of our Nation's great teachers, who 
                have poured their hearts into caring for their 
                students--not only by educating them but motivating and 
                inspiring them. Teachers hold the kite strings that 
                keep our national ambitions aloft. The future of our 
                Nation is in their hands. Today and this week, may we 
                all show them the gratitude they deserve. We will 
                always have their backs.

                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 May 7, 2024, 
                as National Teacher Appreciation Day and May 6 through 
                May 10, 2024, as National Teacher Appreciation Week. I 
                call upon all Americans to recognize the hard work and 
                dedication of our Nation's teachers and to observe this 
                day and this week by supporting teachers through 
                appropriate activities, events, and programs.

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

[FR Doc. 2024-10531
Filed 5-10-24; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3395-F4-P