K-12 Public Education

Q39: Do you have a plan to ensure quality public education for all and improving low-performing schools?

Biden: Yes. My education plan 1) provides educators the support and respect they need and deserve, and 2) invests in all children from birth, so that regardless of their zip code, parents’ income, race, or disability, they are prepared to succeed in tomorrow’s economy. I have published my full plan on my website, and have included some highlights here:

First, my plan will support our educators by giving them the pay and dignity they deserve. I will triple funding for Title I (the federal program funding schools with a high percentage of students from low-income families) and I’ll require districts to first use these funds to offer educators competitive salaries as well as make other critical investments prior to directing the funds to other purposes. I’ll also make sure the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program is fixed, simplified, and actually helps public school educators and other public servants.

Second, I’ll invest in resources for our public schools so students grow into physically and emotionally healthy adults, and educators can focus on teaching instead of also having to act as counselors, meal providers, and so much more. As part of this commitment I’ll expand the community schools model to reach an additional 300,000 students and their families.

My plan includes a number of other commitments including providing free, quality pre-K to our country’s three- and four-year-olds, investing in school infrastructure, improving teacher diversity, providing the funds needed to fully support children with disabilities, and investing in school vocational training programs. View details of my plan to invest in quality public education and improve low-performing schools HERE.

Bloomberg: We will share details of our K-12 plan with you when it has been made public.

Buttigieg: Yes. https://peteforamerica.com/policies/education/. My administration will focus on providing students the skills and the support they need to succeed by investing early and prioritizing equity. We will improve early childhood learning and resource our K-12 teachers and schools to ensure students can learn and succeed regardless of their family income or zip code. We will support parents by ensuring universal access to affordable child care and pre-K, and offering new programs to bridge the gap after school and over the summer. And my plan will empower teachers. This is personal for me. When I met my husband, Chasten, he was teaching in Chicago Public Schools. I’ve seen up close the incredible challenges that educators across the country face—from late nights grading papers, to acting as social workers in addition to teaching classes. Yet teachers’ earning power has fallen over the past few decades. Educators of color are underrepresented, even though their work benefits all students. My K-12 plan includes policies to: — Narrow academic opportunity gaps between students in high-income and low-income districts. — Triple funding for Title I schools to invest in a truly equitable public education system, no matter a child’s zip code, race, or background, and eliminate the wage gap for Title I teachers. — Launch the Education Access Corps to prepare and retain future educators to teach in Title I schools. — Double the proportion of new teachers and school leaders of color in 10 years. — Support strong unions for educators and staff and raise wages for early childhood educators. — Dramatically reduce discipline disparities in early education as well as K-12. — Expand mental health services in schools for students and teachers. — Give every child access to after-school programs and summer learning opportunities.

De La Fuente: Yes. My administration will support Common Core and enhance standards across the board.

Sanders: Yes. In America today, most school districts are funded out of local property tax revenue, resulting in unconscionable inequalities. The federal government, by conditioning funding on standardized test scores, has worsened the disparities between school districts and among states. Since school districts are funded out of local property taxes, less is invested in the education of children from low-income families compared with their more affluent peers. In 2016, school districts serving mostly students of color received $23 billion less in funding than mostly white schools, even though they serve the same total number of students. In 24 states, total state and local education funding is less than it was before the recession. In America, the quality of a child’s education should not and cannot depend on their zip code or the color of their skin.

As President, Bernie will rethink the link between property taxes and education funding and make transformative federal investments in K-12 education. This includes establishing a national per-pupil spending floor to ensure that urban, rural, affluent, and low-income school districts receive more equitable and fair funding. He will eliminate barriers to college-readiness exams by ensuring states cover fees for the ACT, SAT and other college preparatory exams for all students. He will Triple Title I funding to ensure at-risk schools get the funding they need. He will provide $50 billion over a decade for sustainable community schools to provide a holistic, full-service approach to learning and the wellbeing of our young people. And he will provide $50 billion over ten years to substantially expand access to summer and after-school programs, teen centers and tutoring.

Bernie’s plan calls for a transformative investment in our children, our teachers and educational support staff, and our schools and a fundamental re-thinking of the unjust and inequitable funding of our public education system. Bernie’s plan will provide $5 billion annually for career and technical education to give our students the skills they need to thrive once they graduate. He will build on the Strength in Diversity Act to increase, not cut, federal funding for community-driven strategies to desegregate schools. Additionally, his plan will fund school transportation to help integration, ending the absurd prohibitions in place.

Furthermore, Bernie will invest in teachers and educational support staff. Our system is failing our public school teachers and support staff: One in five teachers are now forced to take on a second job to get by and half have considered leaving the profession. We cannot have the best educated workforce in the world until we treat our teachers like the professionals they are. Bernie will ensure every teacher is paid at least $60,000 a year. We will tie this starting salary to cost of living, years of service, and other qualifications; and allowing states to go beyond that floor based on geographic cost of living. He will triple the above-the-line tax deduction for teaching supplies and create a new grant program to ensure teachers do not have to spend their own money or take second jobs to ensure their classrooms have all the materials they need. We will make transformative investments in our schools that eliminate one-size-fits-all solutions and put our students, our teachers and our public schools first.

Steyer: Yes. I will roll back Trump’s unnecessary increases to defense spending and use this money to double federal investment in preK-12 education, targeting it to equalize educational resources and learning opportunities. I will use this investment to help every student graduate from high school on time — and with a clear pathway to a career or college. My plan gives educators a raise, triples Title 1 funding, supports school integration, scales up Community Schools, and provides every struggling student with a tutor. My plan will not only improve the quality of education every student receives regardless of their zip code, but it will also address the significant barriers outside of school that hinder academic performance. My investments in our education system will be made in tandem with other major social investments and policy reforms to address child poverty, homelessness, access to health care, and the system of mass incarceration that keeps parents away from their children.

Warren: Yes. Every kid in America should have the same access to a high-quality public education – no matter where they live, the color of their skin, or how much money their parents make. That’s why I have a comprehensive plan to overhaul our public education system by investing $450 billion in Title I — all paid for by a small wealth tax on fortunes above $50 million. I am also committed to fully funding IDEA and investing an additional $50 billion in school infrastructure so that no student has to attend schools with lead pipes, molding walls, or crumbling textbooks. And I will renew the fight against segregation and discrimination in our schools by combatting practices – such as restrictive zoning laws and breakaway districts – that have helped further segregation in our public schools, as well as reinstating and improving previous guidance protecting the civil rights of Black students. Instead of militarizing our schools, I’ll invest in providing a safe, nurturing climate for all kids, with more mental health professionals, culturally relevant and responsive curricula, and restorative justice programs to pull students into the classroom instead of pushing them out. And I’ll stop the privatization of our public education system so that schools are accountable to the communities where they’re based. Read more about my plan to ensure a great public school education for every student here: https://elizabethwarren.com/plans/public-education.

Q40: Do you have a plan for supporting teachers, schools of education and school systems in preparing teachers for 21st century teaching and learning?

Biden: Yes. I will triple funding for Title I, the federal program funding schools with a high percentage of students from low-income families, and require districts to use these funds to offer educators competitive salaries and make other critical investments prior to directing the funds to other purposes. Dramatically increasing Title I funding in order to give teachers a raise will allow school districts and educators to decide what the biggest need is for their communities instead of using a one-size-fits-all approach. And, it will ensure that states which have been treating their teachers fairly but still have unmet needs for Title I schools can benefit from these funds.

We also need more opportunities for highly effective teachers to remain in the classroom and advance in their careers. My administration will help school districts create opportunities for teachers to lead beyond the classroom. Teachers will be able to serve as mentors and coaches to other teachers and as leaders of professional learning communities, and will be compensated for that additional work they take on. These funds will also be used to help teachers who choose to earn an additional certification in a high-demand area – like special education or bilingual education – while they are still teaching do so without accumulating debt.

I will also support more innovative approaches to recruiting teachers of color, including supporting high school students in accessing dual-enrollment classes that give them an edge in teacher preparation programs, helping paraprofessionals work towards their teaching certificate, and working with historically black colleges and universities and other minority-serving institutions to recruit and prepare teachers. View details of my plan to support teachers and prepare for 21st century learning HERE.

Bloomberg: We will share details of our K-12 plan with you when it has been made public.

Buttigieg: Yes. I propose creating an Education Access Corps to prepare and retain future educators. My administration will work with states to identify a select group of high-quality, multi-year collegiate teacher preparation programs to educate cohorts of aspiring teachers, including programs at HBCUs and MSIs. More details can be found here: https://peteforamerica.com/policies/education/

De La Fuente: Yes. By re-allocating and re-investing wasteful Pentagon resources and government waste into a comprehensive program to support teachers, schools and school systems we will prepare our teachers for the 21st century.

Sanders: Yes. Teacher preparation is vital for student success and the historic teacher strikes of the past few years has brought national attention to the fact that teachers are paid totally inadequate wages. All of which have contributed to 20 percent of teachers now leaving the profession within five years. As president, Bernie will give teachers a much-deserved raise to at least $60,000 a year and empower them to teach by ensuring districts and schools have the resources necessary to provide effective professional development for all teachers.

Bernie also knows that only 7 percent of public school teachers are Black despite making up 13 percent of the country’s population. Black students who have at least one Black teacher for a single year between kindergarten and 3rd grade perform better in math and reading. Students of color who have at least one teacher of color by third grade are more likely to graduate from high school and enroll in college.

In America today, only 20 percent of public school teachers are nonwhite, and with minority students comprising a majority in our public schools, the gap is growing. Trump’s racist and disastrous decision to end the DACA program only widens this gap: close to 20,000 public K-12 teachers could lose their jobs and be forced to leave their homes.

When Bernie is President, we will make historic investments in public education and reduce the shortage of Black teachers by investing in teacher-training programs at HBCUs and MSIs. This will ensure that Black teachers more likely to enter underserved communities are able to receive advanced degrees and address disparities in our education system. We will invest in the education, training, mentorship, residencies, and hiring of teachers of color to diversify the public school teacher workforce.

When Bernie is in the White House, he will:

Establish a dedicated fund of $5 billion to create and expand teacher-training programs at HBCUs, MSIs and tribal colleges and universities to increase educator diversity.
Provide $5 billion to programs that increase recruitment, retention, and professional development of diverse K-12 teachers.
Significantly increase teacher pay by working with states to set a starting salary for teachers at no less than $60,000 tied to cost of living, years of service, and other qualifications; and allowing states to go beyond that floor based on geographic cost of living.
End racial and gender disparities in teacher pay.
Ensure professional development for all teachers, including continuing education and mentorship programs.
Protect and expand collective bargaining rights and teacher tenure.
Triple the above-the-line tax deduction for educator expenses and index it to inflation to reimburse teachers for the nearly $500 on average they spend on out of pocket classroom expenses each year.
Create a grant program to provide teachers with funds explicitly meant for classroom materials.
Empower teachers to provide a teacher-supported curriculum that gives students the best possible education.

Steyer: Yes. Recruiting, developing, and retaining the excellent and diverse educators should be one of our country’s top priorities. In addition to addressing the poor learning conditions and compensation issues that deter potential candidates, my administration will also tackle the financial barriers associated with teacher training programs by increasing TEACH grants. I will promote alternative credentialing pathways — such as Teacher Residencies and Grow-Your-Own Teacher programs — that cultivate greater educator diversity and effectiveness. To further build a more diverse teacher pipeline, I will launch a grant program to establish teacher preparation centers at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs).

Good teachers grow into great teachers with the right mentoring and training. I will increase Title II spending on both direct professional development programs and research to identify the most effective activities.

Warren: Yes. Ongoing high-quality professional development opportunities for teachers, administrators, and education support professionals produce better outcomes for students. As president, I will increase funding for critical programs that fund professional development and ongoing education on effective instruction, cultural competency, and child development for school staff, like the Supporting Effective Instruction and Supporting Effective Educator Development grants, that the Trump administration has proposed eliminating. And I will invest in funding of IES research on best practices in professional development that is effective and engages educators in decision-making on their own learning. And fully funding IDEA and quadrupling funding for Title I will mean for money to support teacher training and hire more paraprofessionals, while increasing pay for teachers, paraprofessionals, and other education support professionals. Further, representation matters in the classroom, and a diverse workforce helps all students. Teachers of color can boost the academic outcomes of their students and improve graduation rates among students of color. Though the teacher workforce is getting more diverse, it is not keeping pace with changes in student demographics. My plan invests a minimum of $50 billion in Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority Serving Institutions to help more Black, Latinx, Native American, Asian American, and Pacific Islander students become educators and school and district leaders. Over 38% of Black teachers have degrees from HBCUs or MSIs. And Hispanic Serving Institutions are playing a crucial role in closing the teacher-student population demographic gap. I’ve also committed to significantly increasing Bureau of Indian Education funding so these schools can attract and train teachers, particularly those from Native communities. Finally, my college plan will wipe out debt for most teachers and provide tuition-free public college so future teachers never have to take on that debt in the first place. In addition, I will push states to offer a pathway for teachers to become fully certified for free and to invest in their educators and build teacher retention plans. I will increase funding for Grow Your Own Teacher programs that provide opportunities for paraeducators or substitute teachers to become licensed teachers. And I will push to fully fund the Teacher Quality Partnership program to support teacher residency programs in high-need areas, like rural communities, and in areas of expertise like Special Education and Bilingual Education.

Q41: What plans do you have to ensure that students graduating from high school are workforce or college ready?

Biden: Preparing our students for the workforce increasingly entails not only rigorous academics, but also problem-solving, collaboration, and technical skills. I will create a new competitive program challenging local communities to reinvent high school to meet these changing demands of work. This funding will be targeted first toward building the best schools in the country in low-income communities and communities of color.

Additionally, students who participate in high-quality career and technical education are more likely to graduate, earn industry credentials, enroll in college, and have higher rates of employment and higher earnings. Like the arts and music, vocational training can often engage students in school, encourage pride for creativity and making, and teach entrepreneurial skills. Yet, American high schools have largely given up on “shop classes” in order to meet measures of accountability. My administration will invest in school vocational training and partnerships between high schools, community colleges, and employers. These partnerships will create programs that allow students to earn an industry credential upon high school graduation, a credential that readies them for a good-paying career. Career and technical education can also be used to increase access to middle- and high- school courses in computer science so that students learn computational thinking and are prepared to lead in fields such as virtual reality and artificial intelligence. I will invest in and allow Pell grants to be used for dual enrollment programs, so high school students can take classes at a community college and earn college credits or a credential prior to graduating from high school.

View details of my plan to invest in quality K-12 education in preparation for workforce or college readiness HERE, and my plan for education beyond high school HERE.

Bloomberg: We will share details of our K-12 plan with you when it has been made public.

Buttigieg: Yes. I believe that students should be college and workforce ready. But for those who decide college is not for them, they should be able to learn career and trade skills in high school through vocational education. As vocational programs have disappeared over the past few decades, too many students, especially low-income students, are forced to take out student loans to attend for-profit trade programs. Instead of forcing them to waste time and money, I plan to reinvest in vocational/technical K-12 programming.

De La Fuente: Yes. One of my goals as President is to provide an inclusive, open access opportunity for our children and adults to receive an accredited, online education provided by top teachers and professors across America – from Harvard to Yale, my goal is for any and all children to learn from our best and brightest.

Sanders: Yes. The United States, as the wealthiest country in history, should have the best education system in the world. Today, in a highly competitive global economy, if we are going to have the kind of standard of living that the people of this country deserve, we need to have the best educated workforce. As part of his transformative K-12 education plan, Bernie will:

Eliminate barriers to college-readiness exams by ensuring states cover fees for the ACT, SAT and other college preparatory exams for all students.

Triple Title I funding to ensure at-risk schools get the funding they need and end funding penalties for schools that attempt to desegregate.

Provide schools with the resources needed to shrink class sizes.

Provide $5 billion annually for career and technical education to give our students the skills they need to thrive once they graduate.

Ensure schools in rural communities, indigenous communities, Puerto Rico and other U.S. Territories receive equitable funding.

Give schools the funding needed to support arts, foreign language and music education to provide all students with important learning opportunities.

Bernie will make all public colleges, universities, HBCUs, and trade schools tuition- and fee-free. As part of his College for All plan, Bernie will support first-generation and low-income college students:

Double funding for the TRIO Programs and increases funding for the GEAR UP Program so more low-income students, students with disabilities, and first-generation students can attend and graduate college with a degree. By increasing our investment in these programs, we will reach 1.5 million students through TRIO programs and more than 100,000 additional students through GEAR UP than the program reaches today.

Steyer: Yes. A high school diploma should be a stepping stone to a brighter future — regardless of whether a student pursues college, vocational training or directly enters the workforce. High schools should be providing multiple pathways to success. My plan expands apprenticeship and workforce credentialing programs. For those interested in pursuing college, my administration will make sure they have access to rigorous college-prep coursework and the support they need with the college application and financial aid process. My administration will provide low- and middle-income students with access to free or low-cost SAT and ACT prep courses, assistance filling out financial aid forms, and career counselors who can advise on school selection and the application process.

Warren: Yes. I’ve fought hard in Congress to make sure high school students can access career and technical education without paying out of pocket. As president, I will enact legislation to make public two-year, four-year, and technical colleges tuition-free for all students. I’ve also proposed dramatically scaling up high-quality apprenticeship programs with a $20 billion investment that will support partnerships between high schools, community colleges, unions, and companies. But we must also ensure that students are able to take advantage of those opportunities and that high schools are funded and designed to prepare students for careers, college, and life. Students from low-income backgrounds are more likely than their wealthier peers to graduate high school without having taken any CCR coursework. Students with disabilities are also less likely to have the opportunity to enroll in CCR courses. I’ll work with states to align high school graduation requirements with their public college admission requirements. I’ll also direct the Department of Education to issue guidance on how schools can leverage existing federal programs to facilitate education-to-workforce preparedness. And I’ll work with the disability community to encourage schools to begin the development of postsecondary transition plans, as required by IDEA, earlier in a student’s school career.

Q42: Do you have a plan to address the funding disparity between schools?

Biden: Yes. I will invest in our schools to eliminate the funding gap between white and non-white districts, and rich and poor districts. There’s an estimated $23 billion annual funding gap between white and non-white school districts today, and gaps persist between high- and low-income districts as well. I will work to close this gap by nearly tripling Title I funding, which goes to schools serving a high number of children from low-income families. This new funding will first be used to ensure teachers at Title I schools are paid competitively, three- and four-year olds have access to pre-school, and districts provide access to rigorous coursework across all their schools, not just a few. Once these conditions are met, districts will have the flexibility to use these funds to meet other local priorities. States without a sufficient and equitable finance system will be required to match a share of federal funds.

Bloomberg: We will share details of our K-12 plan with you when it has been made public.

Buttigieg: Yes. Too many state and local funding policies increase disparities by providing fewer resources for our lowest- income schools. This undermines the intent of federal Title I funding and hinders our ability to provide adequate services and support to the students who need them most. To combat inequality, raise educational performance, and prepare American students for the 21st Century, my administration will invest over $300 billion in new federal funding for Title I schools, invest in mental health, expand after-school and summer learning programs, and increase instructional resources for teachers. I will support creativity and excellence in the classroom, expanding access to arts and hands-on STEM learning to prepare students for 2054—not 1954.

De La Fuente: Yes. My administration will support efforts to facilitate public/private partnerships between local businesses and communities to create Charter school programs.

Steyer: Yes. I will triple Title 1 funding to low-income students and better target those funds to ensure they reach students most in need. Because the vast majority of school funding comes from local and state sources, my administration also will incentivize states to adopt more equitable school funding formulas.

Warren: Yes. Our flawed approach to K-12 funding isn’t just producing disparities in education between poor and rich students. It’s also helping produce disparities in education based on race. Black and Latinx students are disproportionately likely to attend chronically under-resourced schools. Bureau of Indian Education schools are badly underfunded too. My plan addresses each and every aspect of this problem. It starts by quadrupling Title I funding —an additional $450 billion over the next 10 years – to help ensure that all children get a high-quality public education. But we need to do more than just increase funding. We also need to ensure that federal funds are reaching the students and schools that need it most. That’s why I’m committed to working with public education leaders and school finance experts to improve the way the federal government allocates this new Title I funding. And I would impose transparency requirements on this new funding so that we can understand what investments work best and adapt our approach accordingly. I’m also committed to using this new federal investment to press states to adopt better funding approaches themselves. I would condition access to this additional Title I funding on states chipping in more funding, adopting more progressive funding formulas, and actually allocating funding consistently with these new formulas. This would ensure that both the federal government and state governments do their part to progressively and equitably fund public schools while still ensuring that no child gets less per-student funding than they do today. You can read more about my plan to provide a great public school education to every student here: https://elizabethwarren.com/plans/public-education

Q43: Will you support funding for Community Schools?

Biden: Yes. When parents are working hard to make ends meet, it can be difficult if not impossible for them to navigate various family needs like after-school care, health and social services, and adult education courses. When students are habitually sick because they don’t have access to preventive care, or can’t see the board at the front of the room because they haven’t been to the eye doctor, learning becomes exponentially more difficult. But in many neighborhoods, educators, parents, and community members have come up with a solution: community schools. Community schools work with families, students, teachers and community organizations to identify families’ unmet needs and then develop a plan to leverage community resources to address these needs in the school building, turning schools into community hubs. I will expand this model, providing this wraparound support for an additional 300,000 students and their families.

Bloomberg: We will share details of our K-12 plan with you when it has been made public.

Buttigieg: Yes. I will increase funding for the Full Service Community Schools grant program to expand access to well-rounded, comprehensive community supports that are built through community schools.

De La Fuente: Yes.

Sanders: Yes. Bernie has been advocating for more investment in the Community Schools model for many years. Our public schools can and should be more than just places where children learn – they can be community centers that build the health and well-being of students. We must act to transform our education system into a high-quality public good that connects education, health, and social-services to young people. A strong investment in sustainable community school programs can help us achieve that. That is why as President, Bernie will provide $50 billion over the next decade for sustainable community schools to provide a holistic, full-service approach to learning and the wellbeing of our young people.

Steyer: Yes. I am committed to creating a network of 25,000 Community Schools by 2025.

Warren: Yes The Warren administration will have the goal of helping 25,000 public schools transition to the community school framework by 2030. Community schools are hubs of their community. Through school coordinators, they connect students and families with community partners to provide opportunities, support, and services inside and outside of the school. These schools center around wraparound services, family and community engagement, afterschool programs and expanded learning time, and collaborative leadership structures. Studies show that every dollar invested in community schools generates up to $15 in economic return to the community.

Q44: Do you support federal education standards for charter schools?

Biden: Yes. My administration will do everything we can to help traditional public schools, which is what most students attend. As president, I will ban for-profit charter schools from receiving federal funds. I will also make sure that we stop funding charter schools that don’t provide results. We should not waste the scarce resources that our public schools badly need. In addition, I will ensure that charter schools are held to the same levels of accountability (such as by school boards; civil rights, employment, health, labor, and safety standards; and educator qualifications) and transparency (such as financial and holding public board meetings) as traditional public schools.

Bloomberg: We will share details of our K-12 plan with you when it has been made public.

Buttigieg: Yes. My priority is strengthening and investing in public schools to ensure that they have the capacity to best serve students. Because the profit motive distorts priorities in K-12 education, I will ban for-profit charter schools. I will promote comparable levels of accountability and transparency between charter and traditional public schools, including adding a requirement that states report annually on charter authorizer performance, and take action against authorizers responsible for low-quality charter schools.

De La Fuente: Yes. Common Core standards that evolve and enhance based on best-available data.

Sanders: Yes. We do not need two school systems; we need to invest in our public schools system. Not only will Bernie halt the use of public funds to underwrite new charter schools and ban for-profit charters, existing charter schools will be made accountable by mandating that charter schools comply with the same oversight requirements as public schools. We will require charters to disclose student attrition rates, non-public funding sources, financial interests and other relevant data. They will have to match employment practices at charters with neighboring district schools, including standards set by collective bargaining agreements and restrictions on exorbitant CEO pay. And we will support the efforts of charter school teachers to unionize and bringing charter schools to the negotiating table.

The same accountability metrics and public governance rules that apply to traditional public schools should also apply to charters. We can make these principles a reality by increasing transparency and accountability, improving charter governance, requiring greater oversight, and ensuring charters equitably serve all students.

Steyer: Yes. I would follow the NAACP’s recommendation to ban for-profit charter schools, and freeze federal funding for new non-profit charter schools. Under my administration, existing non-profit charter schools would be held to the same standards as traditional public schools, including in terms of transparency, accountability, and educator qualifications. The way to fix our education system is not by working around it, but by actually dealing with the challenges head-on.

Warren: Yes. We have a responsibility to ensure a good education for all our kids. So our number one priority should be addressing the chronic underfunding in our neighborhood public schools —especially in Black and brown communities. But we also need to address the problems inherent in charter schools today. I support the NAACP’s recommendations to only allow school districts to serve as charter authorizers, and to empower school districts to reject applications that do not meet transparency and accountability standards, consider the fiscal impact and strain on district resources, and establish policies for aggressive oversight of charter schools. Further, I believe tax dollars should stay in our public schools, period. No one should be profiting off of public education. We should ban for-profit charters and charters that outsource their operations to for-profit companies. I am also concerned with the effect that unfettered charter school growth has on school districts, traditional public schools and students. That’s why I publicly opposed the expansion of charter schools in Massachusetts. I also believe that all existing charter schools should be held to the same transparency and accountability standards that public schools are held to, and I support ending federal funding for the expansion of charter schools and vouchers.

Q45: Do you plan on increasing federal funding to increase the salary for public school teachers?

Biden: Yes. In 2018, public school teachers made 21.4 percent less than workers with similar education and experience. And public school teachers’ average weekly wage hasn’t increased since 1996. Teachers and school personnel do some of the most important and hardest work, but too often they aren’t rewarded. As President, I will correct this wrong. I will triple funding for Title I, the federal program funding schools with a high percentage of students from low-income families, and require districts to use these funds to offer educators competitive salaries and make other critical investments prior to directing the funds to other purposes. Dramatically increasing Title I funding in order to give teachers a raise will allow school districts and educators to decide what the biggest need is for their communities instead of using a one-size-fits-all approach. And, it will ensure that states which have been treating their teachers fairly but still have unmet needs for Title I schools can benefit from these funds.

Bloomberg: We will share details of our K-12 plan with you when it has been made public.

Buttigieg: Yes. Early childhood educators, who are predominantly women and disproportionately women of color, earn on average less than $11 per hour. We need to honor teachers like soldiers, and pay them like doctors. That’s why, as President, I will raise salaries for educators in early education and K-12.

De La Fuente: Yes. Re-allocate funds from wasteful government programs and budgets such as the Pentagon budget.

Sanders: Yes. As President, Bernie will significantly increase teacher pay by working with states to set a starting salary for teachers at no less than $60,000 tied to cost of living, years of service, and other qualifications; and allowing states to go beyond that floor based on geographic cost of living.

We will also end racial and gender disparities in teacher pay, triple the above-the-line tax deduction for educator expenses and index it to inflation to reimburse teachers for the nearly $500 on average they spend on out of pocket classroom expenses each year, and create a grant program to provide teachers with funds explicitly meant for classroom materials.

Steyer: Yes. Teachers earn 21 percent less than other professions requiring a similar level of education and skill set, and 13 percent less when looking at total compensation including benefits. Our teachers deserve a salary commensurate with the training, skill and importance of the job. The Steyer administration will match every additional dollar states and districts spend on raising teacher pay at a 2-to-1 ratio until the compensation gap is closed.

Warren: Yes. Pay for our public school educators is unacceptably low, and it’s putting incredible strain on them and causing many to burn out and leave the profession. My plan to quadruple Title I funding incentivizes states to chip in more money and shift their funding formulas to better support students in critical ways, such as by increasing teacher pay with the goal of closing the educator pay gap and also paying paraprofessionals and other education support professionals a living wage. These additional funds would also ensure that classrooms are well-equipped with resources and supports so that teachers aren’t paying out of pocket.

Q39: Do you have a plan to ensure quality public education for all and improving low-performing schools?

Q40: Do you have a plan for supporting teachers, schools of education and school systems in preparing teachers for 21st century teaching and learning?

Q41: What plans do you have to ensure that students graduating from high school are workforce or college ready?

Q42: Do you have a plan to address the funding disparity between schools?

Q43: Will you support funding for Community Schools?

Q44: Do you support federal education standards for charter schools?

Q45: Do you plan on increasing federal funding to increase the salary for public school teachers?

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