By Matt Trotter
Teacher walkouts in Oklahoma and other states may be over, but their message has reached Capitol Hill, where Senate Democrats are proposing a more than $100 billion increase in federal education spending.
The plan calls for $50 billion over the next decade for states to put toward teacher pay and recruitment, and another $50 billion to spend on school infrastructure and classroom resources.
“Teachers are marching on state capitols across the country, demanding higher pay, better working conditions and more resources. They’re not just fighting for themselves. They’re fighting for the future of America,” said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.
Another piece of the plan is the federal government meeting its special-education funding commitment.
“The richest and the poorest school districts have children with disabilities. When Congress does not fully fund the special ed obligation, it means that districts have to pick that up, and it means they have less money for everything else,” said National Education Association President Lily Eskelsen-Garcia.
The plan also calls for more funding for schools in low-income areas and preserving teachers’ ability to collectively bargain.
“Anyone, Democrat or Republican alike, who says that they believe in teaching and learning and our kids’ future must support this agenda,” said American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten.
Democratic leaders said funding would come from revisiting tax cuts for the top 1 percent of earners.
