Teachers deserve ‘a raise, not just praise’, says Biden

The U.S. President made these remarks at the National Education Association's annual meeting in Washington

Speaking to the nation's largest teachers union, President Joe Biden said on Friday, July 2, 2021, that the pandemic has given America's parents the "ultimate education" on the challenges of the teaching profession. But even more, he said, the last year has proved that teachers across the U.S. deserve higher pay. "You deserve a raise, not just praise," Mr. Biden said in remarks at the National Education Association's annual meeting in Washington. "Every parent in this country who spent the last year educating their children at home understands that you deserve a raise." Mr. Biden made the case while selling his proposed legislative priorities and budget for next year, which includes USD 20 billion in new funding that aims to spur states to increase teacher pay. A close ally of teachers unions, the President went on to describe educators as "the single most important component of America's future." Mr. Biden and first lady Jill Biden gave remarks at a mostly empty Washington Convention Center while union members watched virtually. Mr. Biden is the first President in recent history to address the labor group, whose 3 million members include his wife, a longtime community college professor.