The Association of Texas Professional Educators, the state’s largest educator association, is urging federal lawmakers to support investments in public education as part of the bipartisan infrastructure plan being negotiated by the U.S. Congress.

In a letter to members of the Texas delegation, ATPE highlighted important components of the INVEST in America Act and the president’s Build Back Better plan that should be included in the final legislative package.

“ATPE strongly supports provisions in the bipartisan Senate-passed bill that will allocate additional federal resources to schools to upgrade their facilities and equipment to meet the challenges of educating students in the 21st century,” ATPE Executive Director Shannon Holmes said. “We are encouraged that the bill includes funding for schools to expand access to broadband, improve their facilities’ air quality, and modernize school buses—issues that have had a disproportionate impact on low-income communities.”

The INVEST in America Act would provide $500 million to help schools reduce their energy costs and improve indoor air quality. The bill would fund $42.5 billion in grants to increase broadband connectivity in underserved areas. Schools could also upgrade their bus fleets with grants to replace older buses with newer ones that reduce emissions or use alternative fuels.

In the Build Back Better Plan, President Joe Biden has proposed funding to support universal Pre-K for all 3- and 4-year-old children and subsidize child care for working families. ATPE is also urging Congress to fund the president’s proposals for investments in the education profession, such as scholarships for future teachers, teaching residency programs, and mentoring.

ATPE has consistently advocated for federal policy aimed at ensuring students have access to the infrastructure and supports needed to succeed in the classroom. We also recognize the need for investments to protect the health and livelihoods of all school workers, many of whom are at-will employees with lower-than-average wages and are struggling to support their families and deal with the additional challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.

About the Association of Texas Professional Educators (ATPE)
Founded in 1980, ATPE is the leading educators’ association in Texas with approximately 100,000 members statewide. With its strong collaborative philosophy, ATPE speaks for classroom teachers, administrators, and future, retired, and para-educators and works to create better opportunities for Texas’ five million public school students. | atpe.org