Sec. 106. Sense of Congress regarding the importance of teachers in inspiring civic engagement
513 words·~2 min read·
/bill/117/hr/3000/ih/section-106A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
Congress finds the following: Parents have a critical voice in ensuring their children receive an education that will help them to be engaged and productive members of American society, and members of the teaching profession are crucial to helping them achieve that goal. The United States suffers from a lack of consistently effective civic education that imparts knowledge about government, democratic engagement, and the Constitution. Recent polling by the Annenberg Public Policy Center revealed that 22 percent of American adults are unable to name any of the three branches of government and 37 percent are unable to name or do not know any of the rights guaranteed by the First Amendment to the Constitution.
Every State, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and any other territory or possession of the United States reported a lack of qualified teachers in at least one academic subject during the 2017–2018 school year. The Learning Policy Institute reported a teacher shortage of about 64,000 teachers during the 2015–2016 academic year and estimated that, beginning in 2020, 300,000 new teachers will be needed each year. Teachers often do not receive full support for classroom activities or for advancing their contributions to the education system through career development.
A survey by the Department of Education found that 94 percent of public school teachers in the United States paid for their own classroom supplies and materials without reimbursement during the 2014–2015 school year, with the average teacher spending $479 out-of-pocket. Eighteen percent of teachers work a second job during the school year, making teachers three times as likely as all workers in the United States to work multiple jobs. Teachers in all subjects and at all grade levels play a crucial role in educating youth about service options and the ways youth can engage in their communities.
The advancement of civic education and the availability of well-trained and effective teachers are essential for the future health of civil society in the United States. It is the sense of Congress that— teachers of all subjects and at all grade levels, including those in public, private, and homeschool settings, are essential in inspiring civic knowledge and engagement in their students; public school teachers are dedicated public servants and should be honored and supported in their work to educate youth in the United States; teachers are crucial in inspiring their students to contribute to their Nation and communities through all forms of service; the profession of teaching is a noble endeavor and one that is vital to the civic education of American youth; teachers across the country have sought to raise awareness of a crisis in resource support and adequate compensation for teachers, especially at public schools; officials at all levels of government should seek to address these concerns by providing teachers with resource support, adequate compensation, and career development opportunities; and more Americans will be called to the teaching profession when government officials at all levels demonstrate value for the essential role of teachers in our society by providing teachers with resource support, adequate compensation, and career development opportunities.