Press Releases

This week, Congresswoman Frederica Wilson reintroduced the ‘American Teacher Act’ with 80 cosponsors. This bill seeks to raise teacher salaries across the country to a minimum of $60,000 to address the nationwide teacher shortage crises and ongoing attacks on public education.

“It’s about damn time we give our public-school teachers a raise. With the ongoing teacher shortage worsening each year, we fail to raise teacher salaries while prices rise; it's no surprise that talented educators are leaving the profession. Speaking as a former public-school teacher and principal, I know firsthand how important our teachers are and how hard they work. Yet, despite teachers’ hard work, they often go unnoticed and are underpaid, forcing them to juggle multiple jobs just to make ends meet,” Congresswoman Frederica Wilson said. “That is why I am once again introducing the American Teacher Act to ensure every teacher across America makes at least $60,000. Once we start respecting our educators, we can expect better student outcomes and watch our teacher shortage shrink.”

According to a survey, 86% of public schools are struggling to hire educators, with high-poverty districts experiencing even more severe understaffing issues.

"The average starting salary for teachers is just $41,000, which is why the American Teacher Act is urgently needed,” said AFT President Randi Weingarten. “It is time to stop relying on teachers' goodwill—they need a living wage to pay the rent and feed their families, and they deserve to live in the places in which they teach. I can't thank Rep. Wilson enough for her deep commitment to valuing educators and raising salaries to a minimum of $60,000. Let's pass this bill and honor and respect America’s teachers for all that they do for our children and our country."

National Education Association President Becky Pringle said, "Students of every color, background and ZIP code deserve qualified and caring educators who are dedicated and have the resources to uncover the full potential of every child. Unfortunately, today, we continue to find ourselves in a 5-alarm crisis, with staffing shortages in schools across the country.  Moreover, we have a shortage of professional pay, basic dignity, and respect for the professionals they are. Educators proudly support the American Teacher Act, which will meet the goal of addressing educator shortage with long-term solutions, not band-aid approaches.  We must recruit large numbers of diverse educators into the profession and retain qualified and experienced educators in our schools to support our students in learning recovery and thriving in today’s world. We are grateful to Congresswoman Wilson for standing by our educators and fighting for our students." 

“Every day teachers go beyond the call of duty in and out of the classroom for every child, lighting the way to brighter futures. It is critical that we elevate and support our teachers, invest in them and hold them with high public esteem,” said Yvonne Johnson, president of National PTA. “The American Teacher Act will help strengthen the teaching profession and address teacher shortages currently facing our nation, and we applaud Representative Wilson for introducing the bill.” 

Nínive Calegari, Co-Founder of the Teacher Salary Project, said, “The American Teacher Act is essential to closing the gap between how we pay teachers today and how we must pay them as professionals. We are so grateful to Congresswoman Wilson for her insight and courage on this issue that is so important to us all. Teachers are the most important part of any school and we must respect that importance with competitive pay.”

Ranking Member of the Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education subcommittee, Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, said, “Teachers should be fairly compensated for their important work to help prepare today's students to be the leaders of tomorrow. Providing grants to incentivize states to raise teacher pay is a commonsense policy that will help schools recruit and retain talented educators, leading to better outcomes for students and the country. I’m pleased to join my colleague Congresswoman Wilson in leading this effort to invest in America’s educators.”

The American Teacher Act does the following:

• Minimum Salary Requirement: It establishes a framework for teacher salary incentive grants, mandating a minimum annual salary of $60,000 for full-time teachers in qualifying schools, along with provisions for inflation adjustments in subsequent years.

·       State Grant Application: State educational agencies can apply for four-year grants to ensure compliance with the minimum salary requirement, with an emphasis on sustainability and the allocation of funds to local educational agencies, particularly those serving high-need areas.

·       Cost-of-Living Adjustments: The bill includes provisions for cost-of-living adjustments to teacher salaries based on the Consumer Price Index, helping to ensure that salaries remain competitive and reflective of economic conditions.

• Awareness Campaign: It authorizes a national campaign to raise awareness about the teaching profession's importance, encourage students to consider careers in teaching, and promote diversity within the teaching workforce.
  

The bills cosponsors include Rep. Adriano Espaillat (NY), Rep. Al. Green (TX), Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY), Rep. Alma Adams (NC), Rep. Andre Carson (IN), Rep. Andrea Salinas (OR), Rep. Ayanna Pressley (MA), Rep. Bennie Thompson (MS), Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ), Rep. Chellie Pingree (ME), Rep. Chris Deluzio (PA), Rep. Danny Davis (IL), Rep. Debbie Dingell, Rep. Deborah Ross (NC), Rep. Donald Norcross (NJ), Rep. Dwight Evans (PA), Rep. Dwight Evans (PA), Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton (District of Columbia), Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (MO), Rep. Emilia Sykes (OH), Rep. Eric Sorensen (IL), Rep. Frank Mrvan (Indiana)*, Rep. Grace Meng (NY), Rep. Greg Casar (TX), Rep. Greg Landsman (OH), Rep. Gwen S. Moore (WI), Rep. Hank Johnson (GA), Rep. Hayley Stevens (MI), Rep. Henry Cuellar (TX), Rep. Hillary Scholten (MI), Rep. Ilhan Omar (MN), Rep. Jahan Hayes (CT), Rep. James Clyburn (SC), Rep. James McGovern (MA), Rep. Jamie Raskin (MD), Rep. Janice Schakowsky (IL), Rep. Jared Moskowitz (FL), Rep. Jill Tokuda (HI), Rep. Joe Courtney (CT), Rep. Joe Neguse (CO), Rep. John Garamendi (CA), Rep. Jonathan Jackson (IL), Rep. Josh Gottheimer (NJ), Rep. Judy Chu (CA), Rep. Kevin Mullin (CA), Rep. LaMonica McIver (NJ), Rep. Linda Sanchez (CA), Rep. Lucy McBath (GA), Rep. Madeleine Dean (PA), Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (WA), Rep. Mark Pocan (WI), Rep. Mark Takano (CA), Rep. Mark Takano (CA), Rep. Maxwell Frost (FL), Rep. Mike Quigley (IL), Rep. Mikie Sherrill (NJ), Rep. Nikema Williams (GA), Rep. Nikki Budzinski (IL), Rep. Nydia Velasquez (NY), Rep. Pramila Jayapal (WA), Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL), Rep. Rashida Tlaib (MI), Rep. Raul Grijalva (AZ), Rep. Robert Menendez (NJ), Rep. Rosa DeLauro (CT), Rep. Salud Carbajal (CA), Rep. Sean Casten (IL), Rep. Seth Magaziner (RI), Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL), Rep. Shontel Brown (OH), Rep. Shri Thanedar (MI), Rep. Stephen F. Lynch (MA), Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (OR), Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA), Rep. Ted Lieu (CA), Rep. Terri Sewell (AL), Rep. Val Hoyle (OR), Rep. Valerie Foushee (NC), Rep. William Keating (MA), and Rep. Yvette Clarke (NY).

For the bill text, click here.

For the section-by-section, click here.

For the one-page summary of the bill, click here.'

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