U.S. Rep. Phil Gingrey joined other member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee for Teacher Appreciation Day to praise educators’ efforts to leave no child behind and to emphasize legislative efforts to assist them.
“I’ve always held teachers in high esteem, at least since they could no longer assign me homework,” Gingrey said. “Teachers today are expected to be more than educators. They don’t just teach math, science and English; they teach how to be a better person, a better citizen.”
As a member of Congress, Gingrey has supported President Bush’s No Child Left Behind legislation.
As a direct result of President Bush's No Child Left Behind Act, federal funding for teacher quality aid has increased by more than 35 percent since fiscal year 2001, the last budget enacted under President Clinton. This significant growth in federal funding includes a $787 million increase for fiscal year 2002 to a total of $2.85 billion. The FY 2004 Budget Resolution passed by the House and Senate in April maintains this historic level of support, along with dramatic funding increases for other education programs to allow states and schools to devote more of their own resources to improving teacher quality. NCLB also provides significant new flexibility for states and local school districts so they can use federal funding from a number of non-Title I programs to train, recruit, and retain quality teachers if they choose to do so. Funding for the Troops to Teachers and Transition to Teaching programs, which help mid-career professionals enter the teaching profession, has also been dramatically boosted as a result of NCLB.
Gingrey has expressed his support for other teacher-friendly initiatives as well:
“Crayola credit” (teacher tax deduction for classroom expenses) - President Bush and Republicans enacted legislation in 2002 to allow teachers to deduct up to $250 from their taxes each year for out-of-pocket classroom expenses. President Bush's FY 2004 Budget calls for the "credit" to be expanded to at least $400 a year.
Loan Forgiveness for Math, Science, & Special Education Teachers - House Republicans are working to dramatically expand federal student forgiveness - from the current maximum of $5,000 to a new maximum of $17,500 - for Americans who teach math, science, or special education in disadvantaged schools.
Tax Credit for Title I Teachers - Bipartisan legislation has been introduced to provide significant tax credits for teachers who teach in Title I-eligible schools in disadvantaged communities.
“We in Congress have made great demands that teachers lift all children up regardless of what neighborhood they come from, regardless of skin color, regardless of economic background,” Gingrey said. “Therefore, it is incumbent on us in Congress that we provide teachers the resources and support they need to appropriately serve our children. We must leave no TEACHER behind.”
