May 5, 2025
Mrs. Hayes (for herself, Mr. Mannion, Ms. Adams, Mr. Olszewski, Mr. Takano, Mr. Quigley, Ms. Elfreth, Ms. Sewell, Mrs. McBath, Mr. Davis of Illinois, Ms. Wilson of Florida, Mr. Fields, Ms. Moore of Wisconsin, Ms. Tlaib, Ms. Norton, Mr. Mullin, Ms. Titus, Mr. Johnson of Georgia, Ms. Ansari, Ms. Craig, Mr. Larson of Connecticut, Mr. Bishop, Mr. Whitesides, Ms. Barragán, Mrs. McIver, Mr. Garamendi, Mr. Figures, and Ms. Budzinski) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Workforce
Supporting the designation of the week of May 5 through May 9, 2025, as Teacher Appreciation Week
.
Whereas May 5 through May 9, 2025, is Teacher Appreciation Week
, in recognition of the critical and selfless work the Nation’s 3,000,000 public school teachers do for their students;
Whereas teachers are the cornerstone of the American education system, providing essential knowledge, skills, and guidance to the next generation;
Whereas bipartisan efforts have previously recognized the value of teacher expertise, including initiatives to improve teacher recruitment, retention, evaluation, and professional development;
Whereas teachers report that they feel unheard in key education decisions despite their direct impact on student learning and success;
Whereas only 19 percent of teachers would recommend the profession to others, making clear that change is necessary;
Whereas a large majority of teachers support maintaining—
(1)
Federal protections for students against discrimination based on gender and sexual identity (84 percent);
(2)
the guaranteed right of undocumented students to attend public school (74 percent);
(3)
funding for title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6301 et seq.) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1400 et seq.) (92 percent);
(4)
the public service loan forgiveness program under section 455(m) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087e(m)) (87 percent);
(5)
the use of culturally relevant teaching materials that consider the heritage, history, and knowledge of all students (88 percent);
(6)
the statewide collection of student achievement data to identify achievement gaps among schools and student subgroups and channel resources accordingly (79 percent);
(7)
the reservation of public tax dollars for public schools (84 percent); and
(8)
the existence of a fully staffed and functioning Department of Education (70 percent); and
Whereas a large majority of teachers support reimagination of the profession through strategies such as—
(1)
safely leveraging artificial intelligence as a tool to support teaching and learning (88 percent);
(2)
exploring alternatives to the traditional one-teacher, one-classroom model such as team-teaching (85 percent);
(3)
differentiating compensation for teachers who work in hard-to-staff subject areas (87 percent) and schools (93 percent), teacher leaders (89 percent), and teachers who are highly effective (75 percent); and
(4)
proactively diversifying the profession so that school staff more often reflect the racial identity of the student population they teach (80 percent): Now, therefore, be it
Sec.
That the House of Representatives—
(1)
supports the designation of Teacher Appreciation Week
;
(2)
recognizes the invaluable role of teachers in shaping the future of America’s students and communities;
(3)
respects the hard work of teachers in constantly improving their practice in search of effective strategies for their classes;
(4)
affirms that public school teachers should have a seat at the table in education policymaking at all levels, including Federal, State, and local decisionmaking; and
(5)
encourages Federal, State, and local leaders to engage directly with teachers, ensuring their voices and expertise are reflected in policies that impact the classroom.