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As a high school student in Connecticut; I was always looking forward to the art class with Linda Ransom, who nurtured my curiosity. One day, he tapped me on the shoulder and suggested that I become a better teacher. So, Teachers are suffering.
That moment changed the course of my life, encouraged me to pursue a career as a teacher; and eventually led me to a dream beyond my dream: to work as a U.S. Secretary of Education.
The inspiring stories that Americans share during Teachers’ Thanksgiving week remind; me that when we say education is a “big deal,” our teachers make that happen.
Investment for teachers
At the Department of Education, we work to demonstrate our appreciation for investing throughout the year to support and uplift our teachers. At a time when many teachers feel insignificant, overworked and burned by the pressures of the epidemic, this effort begins with obedience.
What we have heard is clear: Teachers are under great pressure.
Promotional staff vacancies force teachers to take more or more classes, limiting teachers’ time spent giving personal attention to students, planning a rich education and meeting other responsibilities.
These uncontrollable situations threaten the dismissal of many teachers and undermine our efforts to achieve permanent and equitable recovery for all students affected by the epidemic.
Our teachers need extra support
With almost all of our schools reopened for personal study, I now urge provincial and local education leaders to do more to support their teachers, including raising teacher salaries and improving working conditions – with more support, professional development and more opportunities. raising the voices of teachers in rethinking education after the epidemic.
Schools and districts should also hire additional support staff and partner with local colleges and universities to recruit and prepare people from different backgrounds to join the teaching profession if we want to provide our students with the best education in the world.
This is probably thanks to the $ 130 billion government funding from the American Rescue Plan selected for K-12 schools.
We in the Department of Education also use the resources and programs available to do our part. By establishing teacher growth as a priority for the department, the organization has focused more than $ 380 million on government competitive funding to support programs that enhance teacher capacity to meet the needs of their students. This has never happened.
Our commitment to this work continues in President Joe Biden’s budget for the 2023 financial year, which seeks an additional $ 722 million for programs that support teaching and learning, improve working conditions in public schools, segregate teachers’ staff and provide teachers with extra classroom leadership.
Teachers’ Thanksgiving Week may coincide with Public Service Awareness Week, but for a long time, too many teachers who have been paying off corporate loans for years find themselves excluded from the Public Service Loan (PSLF). They deserve better.
Teachers are suffering
Thanks to the feedback we received from teachers, the department has redesigned the system so that from now until Oct. 31, teachers with student loans have applied for enrollment with the PSLF, regardless of the type of loan, or organizational loan. service or payment system they do not have.
Teachers who applied for PSLF on Oct. 31 can also calculate past service times in both the PSLF and the Teacher Loan Forgiveness rather than choose between these programs. I encourage all teachers who are interested in qualifying for the program to visit StudentAid.gov/PSLF to learn more.
With these changes, in just six months, Biden-Harris executives have increased the number of debtors authorized; to be pardoned from nearly 12,000 to more than 113,000 people; eligible for more than $ 6.8 billion in student debt relief. These numbers will continue to grow; our recent PSLF loan repayment periods for periods of patience could offer forgiveness to an additional 40,000.
And we do not stop there.
The Federal Student Aid office has upgraded the TEACH Grants Program; so that a few teachers can see their grants being improperly converted into loans. These ongoing efforts have brought about R50 million in assistance to teachers working; in areas of greatest need and fields by converting their loans to repaying grants.
Read more: Emerging Education Trends to Look Out for in 2022
Acknowledging teachers is a commitment
Teaching is the foundation of every opportunity in America. It is time for the state, local and state government leaders to treat this project as a deep public service.
I will always be a teacher, and as a secretary; the Department of Education will live up to our gratitude for teachers for the principles; that reflect their contributions to our country.
The time has come to make teachers aware of the action on Teachers are suffering. So, more blogs will be coming in the Education section.
