The publication is reproduced in full below:
EDUCATORS FOR AMERICA ACT
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HON. ALMA S. ADAMS
of north carolina
in the house of representatives
Thursday, December 9, 2021
Ms. ADAMS. Madam Speaker, today, I am proudly introducing the bicameral EDUCATORS for America Act, along with my colleagues, Representatives Axne, Hayes, and Gallego, and my partners Senators Reed and Casey.
Education is perhaps the most precious gift we have, the sharing of information about our world as we currently understand it to the next generation. Being an outstanding educator requires a generosity of spirit, a will of steel, and a heart full of empathy.
I understand the value of education. As an educator for forty years, l had the opportunity to see bright young minds in my classrooms hard at work. I always hoped that some of these bright young minds would go on to become educators themselves.
Unfortunately, I saw that students aspiring to become educators were sometimes discouraged--by the student debt they would face, by the salaries they would earn, and by the lack of support they would confront.
Educators are struggling, particularly as we continue to grapple with the pandemic. We cannot afford to neglect the educator pipeline any longer. We simply cannot wait for the next generation of educators to appear. We must act intentionally to urgently recruit educators into the classroom, and more importantly, retain educators in the classroom. As such, educators should be given the opportunities and support they need. This bill does just that: it addresses educator preparation, support for educators, financial assistance, and mobilization of states and local communities in improving the educator pipeline.
I will close with this quotation from a titan in American history, W.E.B. Du Bois: ``Of all the Civil Rights for which the world has struggled, and fought for 5,000 years, the right to learn is undoubtedly the most fundamental.''
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SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 167, No. 213
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