VITAL Assessment Act of 2021

Mr. President, it is time for a national investment in building a strong and resilient educator pipeline to ensure that all schools have the diverse, profession-ready teachers, principals, librarians, counselors, and other specialized instructional support personnel they need to support student development and academic achievement. Today, along with Senator Bob Casey and Representative Alma Adams, I am introducing the Educators for America Act to provide the blueprint for building this pipeline.

For years, we have seen declines in enrollment in educator preparation programs. Now in the wake of the pandemic, schools are facing pervasive staffing shortages. An Education Week survey found 40 percent of district leaders and principals describe the shortages as ``severe'' or ``very severe.'' The National Association of Secondary School Principals reported that nearly 4 out of 10 principals are expecting to leave the profession in the next 3 years.

Moreover, the gap between the demographic makeup of the student body and the education profession is widening. Even though over 50 percent of students are people of color and that multiple studies have shown that racial diversity can provide significant benefits to students, a 2016 Department of Education report showed that 82 percent of public school teachers identified as White, a figure that had barely changed since 2000.

Simply put, we can no longer afford to neglect the educator pipeline.

The Educators for America Act calls for a $1 billion annual investment in the educator pipeline, divided evenly between State capacity building and direct support for educator preparation programs and partnerships with high need school districts. It addresses the full pipeline from early outreach and career exploration to financial assistance and wraparound supports for those pursuing education careers to clinical preparation for teachers, principals, and other educators to faculty development, all with a focus on ensuring equity and diversity.

Just as importantly, the Educators for America Act will reduce financial barriers to pursuing careers in education. The legislation will double the value of the TEACH grant to $8,000 per year and provide greater flexibility for meeting the service requirements. It establishes a new monthly credit for teachers, principals, and other educators towards repayment on their student loans so they earn loan forgiveness as they serve rather than watching their loan balances stagnate or grow for 5 to 10 years before receiving any benefit.

The Educators for America Act reflects the input from stakeholders across the education field about what is needed to recruit, prepare, and support educators. To date, 45 organizations have endorsed it.

The Nation's outlook for the future is tied to the strength of the education profession. Our economic prosperity, the health of our democracy and civic society, and our ability to meet the challenges of climate change and the information age depend on our students having access to well-prepared and supported educators who reflect the diversity of the students they serve.

Today, the profession is in crisis. It is time to act. I urge my colleagues to cosponsor the Educators for America Act and work with me to get it passed into law.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to have my bill printed in the Congressional Record. The bill requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to submit to Congress a report on the Veterans Integration to Academic Leadership Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to have my bill printed in the Congressional Record. The bill requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to submit to Congress a report on the Veterans Integration to Academic Leadership Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs.