NEA applauds Biden’s public education proposal

WASHINGTON 

National Education Association President Lily Eskelsen García provided the following statement in response to the release of Vice President Joe Biden’s education plan:

“A cornerstone of Vice President Joe Biden’s education proposal is an understanding that we as a country have a moral responsibility to provide a great neighborhood public school for every student in every ZIP code and that improving our public schools requires investing in them and our students from birth.

“For more than a year now, the national #RedForEd movement, led by parents and students, has spearheaded a conversation to demand the public schools our students deserve. And candidates are responding in kind. The Biden plan acknowledges this movement and rightly makes educator pay a cornerstone of his plan, which is badly needed at a time when the pay for all educators continues to fall and they are leaving the profession in droves.

“We applaud Biden for pledging to build the best, most innovative schools in the country, especially in low-income communities where the need is the highest. Adding that to his plan to expand community schools, fully fund IDEA, triple the funds for Title I schools, and invest in children starting from birth, including high-quality, universal pre-kindergarten for all three- and four-year-olds will go a long way towards eliminating the persistent achievement gaps and providing opportunity for all students no matter their ZIP code.

“What is becoming increasingly clear in light of Biden’s and other recent education proposals is that, as the eyes of the nation turn to the 2020 presidential campaign, the country is hungry to elect a president who will not only do what is in the best interest of public education but also ensure that students have the schools they deserve.” NEA is in the early stages of evaluating 2020 presidential candidates and recently launched its Strong Public Schools 2020 campaign. Praise for any candidate’s proposal should not be seen as an endorsement of that candidate. As America’s largest organization of educators, NEA will be engaging in conversation with all candidates as we vet them to determine who has the best ideas for ensuring all students, regardless of where they live, receive support, tools, and time to learn.

Educators are trusted and powerful voices in every community. NEA represents 1 in 100 Americans, and 1 in 39 voters comes from an NEA household. NEA members are located in every U.S. congressional district, including key battleground states, which makes them key electoral influencers.