Fair teacher pay act
Overview
The bi-partisan American Teacher Act (H.R. 882) was introduced February 8, 2023 by two teachers in Congress: Representatives Frederica Wilson (D-FL) and Representative Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) and 44 other original co-sponsors. The American Teacher Act will award 4-year grants to states that elect to demonstrate their commitment to sustaining a minimum teacher salary of $60,000. It will also p rovide a separate grant program to award states cost-of-living adjustments where the base teacher salary exceeds $60,000 and i nvest in a national campaign to expand awareness of the value of teaching and encourage secondary and college students to consider teaching as a career. The full text of the American Teacher Act is available at https://www.teachersalaryproject.org/the-american-teacher-act.html.
The Pay Teachers Act (S.766) was introduced by Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and 7 co-sponsors on March 9, 2023. The Act will (1) ensure teachers are paid a minimum salary of $60,000 and a livable and competitive salary throughout their career; (2) increase federal public education investments and ask states and localities to do the same; and (3) invest in a diverse teacher workforce, strengthen the educator pipeline, and support teachers’ career development and advancement. The full text of the Pay Teachers Act is available at https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/news-sanders-introduces-legislation-to-address-teacher-pay-crisis-in-america/
Please contact your U.S. Representatives and urge them to cosponsor the American Teacher Act (H.B. 882) (see list of current co-sponsors and endorsing organizations below) and contact your U.S. Senators and urge them to cosponsor the Pay Teachers Act (S.766).
TAKE ACTION
Contact your elected officials using the scripts provided (adapted as you see fit) below. Tell Congress to act!
American Teacher Act Co-Sponsors
- Representative Alma Adams (D-NC)
- Representative Joyce Beatty (D-OH)
- Representative Earl Blumenauer (D-OR)
- Representative Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE)
- Representative Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR)
- Representative Jamaal Bowman (D-NY)
- Representative Shontel Brown (D-OH)
- Representative Nikki Budzinski (D-IL)
- Representative Salud O. Carbajal (D-CA)
- Representative Andre Carson (D-IN)
- Representative Sean Casten (D-IL)
- Representative Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL)
- Representative Yvette Clarke (D-NY)
- Representative Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO)
- Representative James Clyburn (D-SC)
- Representative Joe Courtney (D-CT)
- Representative Henry Cuellar (D-TX)
- Representative Danny Davis (D-IL)
- Representative Madeleine Dean (D-PA)
- Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT)
- Representative Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA)
- Representative Debbie Dingell (D-MI)
- Representative Veronica Escobar (D-TX)
- Representative Adriano Espaillat (D-NY)
- Representative Dwight Evans (D-PA)
- Representative Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA)
- Representative Valerie Foushee (D-NC)
- Representative Maxwell Frost (D-FL)
- Representative John Garamendi (D-CA)
- Representative Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ)
- Representative Al Green (D-TX)
- Representative Raul Grijalva (D-AZ)
- Representative Jahana Hayes (D-CT)
- Representative Eleanor Holmes-Norton (D-DC)
- Representative Val Hoyle (D-OR)
- Representative Jonathan Jackson (D-IL)
- Representative Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-TX)
- Representative Pramila Jayapal (D-WA)
- Representative Hank Johnson (D-GA)
- Representative Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-CA)
- Representative William Keating (D-MA)
- Representative Daniel Kildee (D-MI)
- Representative Derek Kilmer (D-WA)
- Representative Andy Kim (D-NJ)
- Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL)
- Representative Greg Landsman (D-OH)
- Representative Barbara Lee (D-CA)
- Representative Ted Lieu (D-CA)
- Representative Stephen Lynch (D-MA)
- Representative Seth Magaziner (D-RI)
- Representative Kathy Manning (D-NC)
- Representative Lucy McBath (D-GA)
- Representative James McGovern (D-MA)
- Representative Robert Menendez (D=NJ)
- Representative Grace Meng (D-NY)
- Representative Gwen Moore (D-WI)
- Representative Jared Moskowitz (D-FL)
- Representative Frank Mryan (D-IN)
- Representative Kevin Mullin (D-CA)
- Representative Grace Napolitano (D-CA)
- Representative Joe Neguse (D-CO)
- Representative Donald Norcross (D-NJ)
- Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY)
- Representative Ilhan Omar (D-MN)
- Representative Bill Pascrell Jr. (D-NJ)
- Representative Donald Payne, Jr. (D-NJ)
- Representative Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA)
- Representative Mark Pocan (D-WI)
- Representative Ayanna Pressley (D-MA)
- Representative Mike Quigley (D-IL)
- Representative Jamie Raskin (D-MD)
- Representative Deborah Ross (D-NC)
- Representative Dutch Ruppersberger (D-MD)
- Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL)
- Representative Hillary Scholten (D-MI)
- Representative Terri Sewell (D-AL)
- Representative Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ)
- Representative Haley Stevens (D-MI)
- Representative Eric Swalwell (D-CA)
- Representative Emilia Sykes (D-OH)
- Representative Mark Takano (D-CA)
- Representative Shri Thanedar (D-MI)
- Representative Rashida Tlaib (D-MI)
- Representative Bennie Thompson (D-MS)
- Representative Jill Tokuda (D-HI)
- Representative David Trone (D-MD)
- Representative Nydia Velazquez (D-NY)
- Representative Bonnie Watson-Coleman (D-NJ)
- Representative Susan Wild (D-PA)
- Representative Nikema Williams (D-GA)
- Representative Frederica Wilson (D-FL) - lead sponsor
American Teacher Act Endorsing Organizations
- American Federation of Teachers (AFT)
- National Education Association (NEA)
- National Parent Teacher Association (PTA)
- National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP)
- National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)
- National Network of State Teachers of the Year (NNSTOY)
- Alliance for Excellent Education
- Stand for Children
- Center for Black Educator Development
- Education Trust
- Teach for America (TFA)
- TNTP
- Educators for Excellence
- Learning Forward
- National Center for Grow Your Own
- Economic Policy Institute Action
- Thurgood Marshall College Fund
- Education Leaders of Color
- ACTFL
- National Writing Project
- Beyond 100K (formerly 100Kin10)
- New Leaders
- Teach.org
- American Consortium for Equity in Education (ACEE)
- Center for Curriculum Redesign
- Public Advocacy for Kids
- National Equity Project
- Black Teacher Project
- Council for Exceptional Children
- Teacher Education Division of the Council for Exceptional Children (TED)
- Teach Upbeat
- American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education (AACTE)
- 180 Studio
- United Way Toledo
- The Danielson Group
- Hispanic Association of College and Universities (HACU)
- Prepared to Teach at Bank Street College of Education
- University of San Francisco’s School of Education
- Transcend
- Endeavor Education
- AdoptAClassroom.org
- American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU)
- National Center on Education and the Economy (NCEE)
- National Center on Teacher Residencies (NCTR)
- Council of Academic Deans of Research Education Institutions (CADREI)
- Real Men Teach
- Urban Teachers
- Council of Administrators of Special Education
- Higher Education Consortium for Special Education
- Open Way Learning
- San Francisco Coalition of Essential Small Schools
- New Jersey Tutoring Corps
- Tall Poppy, LLC
- The Million Dollar Teacher Project
- 826 Valencia
- Who Taught You
- Fullmind
- Dallas Communities Organizing to Reach Equity (CORE)
- Bay Area Video Coalition
- San Antonio Film Festival
- Philly’s 7th Ward
- Montessori Public Policy Initiative
- American Montessori Society
- Jewish Family and Community Services East Bay
- Iowa State Education Association
- Pennsylvania State Education Association
- Virginia Education Association
- New Mexico Association for the Education of Young Children
- Texas Supremacy of Arts and Dance Conservatory
- Stage Door Dance Productions
- Girls Geared for Greatness
- Edifying Teachers
- Four Point Education Partners
- Proximity Learning
- ESS
- Global Alliance for the Education of Nations
- GenerationUp
- Latinos for Education
- Craig Newmark (founder, craigslist)
- Tom Gentzel, Executive Director and CEO Emeritus, National School Board Association
- 2013 National Teacher of the Year Jeff Charbonneau
- 2015 National Teacher of the Year Shanna Peeples
- 2017 National Teacher of the Year Sydney Chaffee
- 2018 National Teacher of the Year Mandy Manning
- 2019 National Teacher of the Year Rodney Robinson
- 9th U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan
- 10th U.S. Secretary of Education Dr. John B. King, Jr.
