Democrats have a five-point plan to bolster education that includes a $50 billion bump in compensation for the nation's teachers, and to pay for it they plan to repeal tax cuts to the wealthiest 1 percent.
Democratic leaders Sen. Chuck Schumer and Rep. Nancy Pelosi call it "A Better Deal" for teachers in a column they wrote for USA Today.
"In our view, teachers’ pay should much more closely reflect their value to our society," write Schumer and Pelosi. "Unfortunately, Republicans have been pushing federal and state education cuts to fund tax giveaways for the rich, resulting in fewer resources for schools and low teacher pay. That must end."
To that end, the Democrats have unveiled their five-point plan:
- $50 billion more in compensation for teachers.
- $50 billion fund for school infrastructure to build "21st century classrooms."
- "Additional support to initiatives that improve schools serving low-income children."
- Guarantee teachers collective bargaining rights.
- Fund special education.
And to pay for it, Democrats are leaning on their old fallback - tax the wealthy.
"How do we propose to pay for all this? Simple. We’d revisit the Trump tax cuts for the top 1%. Instead of allowing millionaires, billionaires and massive corporations to keep their tax breaks and special-interest loopholes, Democrats would invest in teachers and students," write the pair.
"If we want the American Dream to live on … we need to start seriously investing in education. Democrats have a plan to do it by offering A Better Deal for teachers. And we’re going to fight for it," the pair conclude.
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