Federal Bill Could Ease Financial Crunch On Teachers
CAMDEN, NJ (CBS) -- Proposed federal legislation could take a lot of financial pressure off teachers as one way to slow the number of people leaving that profession.
So how bad is the problem?
"So many people are choosing to go in other directions, attrition rates for teachers in America, in comparison to our competitors, is twice as high as those leaving the profession in our competitor countries," New Jersey US Senator Cory Booker told KYW Newsradio. "Those countries understand the more you support teachers, the more you support the success of your nation."
Booker is teaming up with South Jersey Congressman Donald Norcross to sponsor a bill that, among other things, ups the federal tax credit for teachers from $250 to $2500 and allows for college loan forgiveness in as little as seven years for those who work in troubled school districts.
"If we give bigger tax breaks to teachers," Booker added, "that goes directly into making sure that the breaks that our children need in life that they get."
Norcross told a crowd gathered at Rowan College's Camden campus that their proposal stands in stark contrast to that offered by the White House.
"They want to help teachers (by) giving them guns. We want to help teachers by giving them educational opportunity, and that's the difference," Norcross said.
Booker took President Trump to task over the federal tax cut, which, as the senator sees it, benefits the rich at the cost of working people.
Both men insist this will be a hard sell on Capitol Hill this year, but should Democrats take control of the House, and maybe the Senate, this plan will certainly make it to the President's desk.
