3-Million Strong National Education Association Recommends President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris

Becky Pringle, president of the 3-million strong National Education Association, announced today that the largest labor union in the country is recommending President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris to continue their leadership in prioritizing America’s students, educators, and public schools as the Democratic nominees for re-election.  

“No matter what we look like, where we come from or where we live, we believe every student deserves safe, just, and high-quality public schools, colleges, and universities that help them pursue their dreams and fulfill their true potential. 

“President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are tireless advocates for public education, proving time and time again that this is the most pro-public education and pro-union administration in modern history. They have partnered with parents and educators to strengthen public schools and expand learning opportunities for all students – Black, white, Latino, Asian, Native, newcomer, LGBTQ+, or differently-abled, from rural, suburban, and urban communities alike.  

“President Biden, Vice President Harris, and First Lady Jill Biden – herself an educator and longtime NEA member – respect educators as professionals and ensure that they have a seat at the table when making education policy decisions that will impact students and their profession. 

“President Biden and Vice President Harris have taken on special interests to deliver results for the American people, lowering costs for working families, rebuilding the middle class, and making our schools and communities safer from gun violence.  

“While President Biden and Vice President Harris have partnered with parents and educators to strengthen public schools and help every student thrive, unbelievably there are some politicians who want to take our nation backwards. Rather than working to strengthen our public schools or helping educators and parents get our students the support they need, some MAGA politicians are ignoring the vast majority of parents – especially Black and brown parents – as they attack our public schools, ban books, and even discriminate against certain children in our communities. Those MAGA politicians are using our most vulnerable students as political pawns and attacking educators to distract from their efforts to privatize our public schools and take away learning opportunities from our students.   

“In 2024, the future of our students, our public schools, and our democracy are on the ballot. With so much at stake, the 3-million-member strong National Education Association is proudly and enthusiastically supporting the re-election of President Biden and Vice President Harris.” 

Background:   

Biden-Harris Accomplishments Supporting Students, Educators and Public Schools:   

• President Biden delivered the largest investment in public education in U.S. history, helping to ensure school districts across the nation can raise educators’ salaries, address educator shortages, fix crumbling school buildings, support historically Black colleges and universities, expand apprenticeship programs, and grow learning opportunities for our students.     
• President Biden has worked to provide student debt relief, canceling up to $20,000 of student debt for millions of Americans.  And under President Biden’s leadership, our nation is finally making good on its promise that those going into education and public service wouldn’t have to live for decades with crushing student debt by reforming the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, moving 550,000 public employees closer to life-changing student loan forgiveness.   
• President Biden and Vice President Harris built an administration that reflects the beautiful diversity of our great nation. President Biden replaced Betsy DeVos – the least qualified Education Secretary in history – with an educator who understands what it takes to lead a public school classroom. He appointed Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson as the first Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court. And built a cabinet that is historically diverse, including appointing a majority of women for the first time ever. Thanks to their efforts, school children across the country can see themselves in the people who hold our nation’s highest positions of power and know their dreams are also within reach.   
• President Biden signed into law the most important bipartisan gun-safety legislation in 30 years, in the face of fierce opposition from the NRA and other special interests, making our schools and communities safer. It’s an important first step in our ongoing work to end the gun violence epidemic.  
• President Biden successfully ushered his landmark legislative agenda through Congress to lower costs of everyday expenses for working families, create good jobs, rebuild our roads and bridges, expand access to high-speed internet, and so much more.   
• And we know this is just the beginning. When we re-elect Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, we will continue to have leaders In the White House who put working families and educators first.  

More information on the Biden-Harris Administration’s wins for public education can be found here. 

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Follow us on Twitter at @NEAmedia and @BeckyPringle   

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The National Education Association is the nation’s largest professional employee organization, representing more than 3 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support professionals, school administrators, retired educators, students preparing to become teachers, healthcare workers, and public employees. Learn more at www.nea.org.