The Road Ahead for American Education

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Jill Biden Attests to Joe's Empathy at DNC Night Two
Jill Biden(left) and Joe Biden (right)
Source


As you probably know, Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. won the 2020 presidential election. With his victory, the president-elect promises to bring forth policies that reform many aspects of our government. One of the aspects that his administration promises to improve is Education. The president-elect posted his plan in detail on his website, I highly recommend reading it as I will only be discussing some highlights. In summary, Biden plans on investing heavily into the education system with the primary goal of creating an equal model for all students.

This focus on education comes primarily from Dr. Jill Biden. The future first lady’s resume in education spans more than three decades. Dr. Biden has experience in primary and secondary education, in addition to teaching special-needs students. Biden’s expertise lies in connecting with students regardless of their background. Many of her previous students have stated that Dr. Biden “genuinely cared about them”(Wiki). In 2007, Dr. Biden received her doctorate in education from the University of Delaware, and even during her time as the Second Lady, she continued teaching. I highly encourage you to read more about Dr. Biden’s career, as it’s clear that she has a strong passion for education, especially for those who need support. The Biden family, as their Campaign website puts it, “understand that, for educators, their profession isn’t just what they do; it is who they are.” (Biden/Harris).

With the first lady’s experience as an educator, teachers can expect to see big changes in their profession in the coming years. The president-elect recognizes many problems that plague our education system from a teacher’s perspective, writing “Many educators across the country are experiencing stagnant wages, slashed benefits, growing class sizes, and fewer resources for their students.”(Biden/Harris) For years teachers have been protesting as they continue to be stretched thin, so I’m sure it’s a great feeling to have a president that’s prioritizing education reform. The Biden administration plans to provide teachers with raises and reduce their student loan debt, reasoning that “Teachers shouldn’t have to worry about how they are going to make their student loan payments while they are busy educating the next generation”(Biden/Harris). It may take time, but teachers can rest knowing that change is underway.

The Biden administration also plans to improve the lives of students. Their campaign estimates that there’s a $23 Billion funding gap between low income and high-income school districts across the nation. Biden plans to close this gap by tripling the funding that assists the education of low-income children. Biden also promises to invest in universal pre-kindergarten and “provide funds to ensure that there is an early childhood development expert in every community health center”(Biden/Harris). These changes will revolutionize education in America, subsequent generations will grow up in a country that supports them from birth, ensuring that no child will be left behind in the improved American education model. 

The Biden campaign website details the coming education changes. After reading the page, I saw similarities between Biden’s vision and Finland’s model. If you want to learn about Finland’s education success, check out my previous blogpost titled “Finland's Education Model Crushes Ours: Here's why.”. I think that this move towards an equal education system is sorely needed in our country. Too many Americans are held back by the emotional and intellectual holes that were developed during their education. By investing in our children’s future, we can create a positive change that will leave a lasting impact on our country for years to come.


Sources:

Biden Harris. joebiden.com/education/. Accessed 14 Jan. 2021. 

Wikipedia. 14 Jan. 2021, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jill_Biden#cite_note-42. Accessed

     14 Jan. 2021. 

Wong, Kenneth K. "The Biden Presidency and a new direction in education policy."

     Brookings, 17 Dec. 2020. Brookings, www.brookings.edu/blog/

     brown-center-chalkboard/2020/12/17/

     the-biden-presidency-and-a-new-direction-in-education-policy/. Accessed 14

     Jan. 2021. 

Comments

  1. ZachJanuary 15, 2021 at 1:05 PM

    This was a really good and interesting blog. I can’t wait to see what happens in the future.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Ms. LaClairJanuary 18, 2021 at 6:55 AM

    How will the president change wages for teachers, since teachers' salaries are decided at a district level, not a federal one?

    Also, let's talk about citations a bit at some point.

    ReplyDelete

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