NEW YORK — Rep. Jamaal Bowman, vice chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, issued the following statement in recognition of Teacher Appreciation Week:
“Teachers are the lifeblood of our communities and the ones who nurture the future of our world. The way we express our appreciation should not just be a single week or a single day. It must be a long-term investment in building vibrant, healthy schools and the support systems that our educators need to thrive. I’m proud to be one of the few public school educators in Congress today and to have the chance to advocate for the higher pay, better benefits, and respect that our teachers deserve.
“Appreciating teachers means transforming the way we think about education and the way we design curriculums. It means protecting the rights of teachers to unionize and collectively bargain. It means addressing impacts of the pandemic and long-standing trauma, and healing communities through economic development and addressing historical inequities in school funding.
“This week especially, let us encourage and reach out to young people to pursue a career in education. I’m speaking specifically to high school and college students. Now is the best time to pursue education; at the state and federal level, billions of dollars are being invested into our teachers and schools. If you care about social and racial justice, innovation, and humanity, become a teacher. There are amazing kids who have unlimited potential and ideas who need someone who cares about them and their learning.”
As an educator in public schools for 20 years, Rep. Bowman has seen firsthand the life-changing importance of teachers. As the representative for NY-16, he has taken the following congressional actions to uplift and support our schools and teachers during his first few months in office:
- Led a joint effort with Rep. Andy Levin (D-MI) calling for $3 billion for the Supporting Effective Instruction State Grants program in Title II, Part A of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). This program provides states and school districts with formula funding that ensures educators, principals, and school leaders receive the professional learning and leadership skills needed to support every student.
- Led the joint effort to secure $30 million in funding for the School Leader Recruitment and Support Program (SLRSP) — the only federally authorized program dedicated specifically to strengthening school leadership — as part of the fiscal year 2022 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies appropriations bill.
- Advocated for $100 million in funding for the Teacher Quality Partnership Grant (TQP) program, the only federal initiative targeted directly to teacher preparation programs at institutions of higher education that is designed to help ensure that high-need schools are staffed with profession-ready teachers.
- Promoted the Augustus F. Hawkins Centers of Excellence program to encourage diverse candidates to enter the teaching profession through institutional investments in HBCUs and MSIs.
- Advocated for $12.1 billion for Head Start in Fiscal Year 2022, which would include supports and resources for Head Start teachers.
- Joined letter to the Biden administration led by the Congressional Hispanic Caucus calling for inclusion of a pathway to citizenship for essential immigrant workers and their families, Dreamers, and TPS holders in the next economic recovery and jobs package, which includes many teachers.
- Proudly cosponsored the Save Education Jobs Act introduced by Rep. Jahana Hayes (D-CT) to invest $261 million to save over 4 million education jobs, including 2.6 million teachers, across the country.
- Voted for the American Rescue Plan, which provides $10 billion to states to support COVID-19 screening testing for K-12 teachers, staff, and students in schools.
- Announced a Green Stimulus for Schools plan of $1.16 trillion in investments in order to ensure a healthy, sustainable recovery for our education system in wake of the coronavirus pandemic and the impacts of the climate crisis.
- As Vice Chair of the House Education and Labor Committee, Rep. Bowman will introduce legislation that directly supports teachers by making crucial improvements to school infrastructure and teacher-to-student ratios.
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