California Democratic Sen. Kamala Harris revealed a multi-billion dollar policy proposal to increase teacher pay Tuesday.
The proposal would give public school teachers a $13,500 raise, equivalent to a 23 percent base pay increase. The plan would cost approximately $315 billion in federal funding over 10 years.
“As president, I will make the largest federal investment in teacher pay in U.S. history,” Harris wrote in The Washington Post Tuesday.
The plan would be supported by “increasing the estate tax for the top 1 percent” and “cracking down on loopholes” that reportedly prevent wealthy people from “paying their fair share,” Harris wrote in WaPo.
The federal government would fund 10 percent of the total pay increase for the inaugural year and then pay three dollars for every dollar states give to boost teacher salaries, Harris continued. Additional funding will also go toward schools serving minorities.
NEW >> @KamalaHarris unveils $315 billion plan to give every teacher in America a raise
✅ Average teacher sees $13,500 raise
✅ For every $1 states chip in, feds add $3
✅ Fully closes 11% gap b/w teachers’ pay & other professionals’ in 4yrsFull plan: https://t.co/5xCNyRTlp7
— Ian Sams (@IanSams) March 26, 2019
“States will be required to maintain their investment over time, and increase that amount to cover their share of wage inflation,” Harris wrote in WaPo.
The plan also includes further increasing teacher salaries for those working in public schools serving primarily “students of color.”
Harris argued in her op-ed that public education did not receive enough investment and the average teacher pay was under the livable wage for a four-person family in 30 states.
The 2020 presidential hopeful’s proposal comes as several states experienced teacher strikes for increased pay and smaller class sizes. (RELATED: Five Educators Sue California Teacher’s Union For Mandatory Dues Collection)
Harris’s home state saw Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) teachers strike in January and Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) educators were at the picket lines beginning in late February. LAUSD, particularly, settled for a deal that could possibly bankrupt the system.
Harris did not immediately respond to The Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
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