The Biden-Harris team understands this. We've been putting our appreciation for you into action. That's why the President has secured a $1.9 billion increase in funding for schools serving low-income communities, which can help with teacher pay. It's also why the Department of Education is partnering with state and local education leaders to improve teacher salaries. And we're seeing progress. The Indianapolis Public Schools agreed to a combined six-percent increase in teacher pay. Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham signed a bill that increased base salaries, on average, by 20 percent for New Mexico's teachers. And Governor Kay Ivey enacted a pay increase that boosts compensation for Alabama educators by at least four percent, with those with nine or more years of experience earning five to 21 percent more. We need more leaders taking bold actions like these. And at the federal level, we've worked to make it more affordable to be a teacher by helping educators get student loan forgiveness. The Biden-Harris team's improvements to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program have resulted in $42 billion in forgiveness for over 615,000 public servants—including educators. And our proposed income-driven repayment plan would cut monthly payments for undergraduate borrowers in half and create faster pathways to forgiveness. We've also secured $2.65 billion to grow and support a pipeline of educators that is diverse, talented, and effective. We're fighting for additional resources to train and hire teachers in hard-to-fill areas, including special education and multilingual education. And we're empowering teachers to focus on teaching by providing students with access to better mental health supports. In addition to all the vital work you do, you should not be expected to also serve as your schools' counselors or psychologists; yet you understand that the wellbeing of your students directly impacts their learning. I'm proud President Biden has secured unprecedented, bipartisan investments to build safe and healthy schools, including by training and hiring more school-based mental health professionals. As a result, the number of counselors in our schools is up 10 percent and the number of social workers has jumped 48 percent since prior to the pandemic. As a first-year teacher, I was interviewed by a local reporter in my hometown. I told her "I was really blessed" to enter the teaching profession. I knew then what I know now: teaching is the best profession. My love for teaching is inseparable from my admiration and respect for the people drawn to this work. So, let's give you—our teachers—a raise. Let's lift up your profession. And let's show you the respect you deserve. Let that journey begin with renewed commitment today! ###
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