In the wake of President Joe Biden having touted new education policies on the horizon for the nation during his State of the Union address last week, Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont announced he has his own policy wishlist, and it includes what could be a substantial raise for many American teachers.
“We should be paying public school teachers a minimum of at least $60,000 a year,” Sanders said at a town hall meeting Monday at the Capitol.
And it sounds like he’s not simply waiting around for it to happen, adding, “I will soon be introducing legislation to do just that.”
The independent senator who also chairs the Senate’s Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee elaborated why he believes teacher salaries must be competitive with other professions.
“I want the day to come, sooner than later, when we are going to attract the best and brightest young people in our country into teaching,” Sanders said. “I want those young people to be proud of the profession they have chosen. I want them to teach in underserved communities, and I want them to help produce the most educated kids in the world. In order to accomplish those goals, we have got to pay teachers in America what they deserve.”
During what was at times a fiery and confrontational State of the Union, Biden called for changes to the country’s educational policies, including an increase in teacher salaries.
“If you want to have the best-educated workforce, let’s finish the job by providing access to preschool for 3 and 4 years old. Let’s give public school teachers a raise,” Biden said.
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