President Joe Biden called for increasing pay for public school teachers while only making a passing reference to student loan forgiveness in his 2023 State of the Union address Tuesday.
The single line about raising teacher pay in the roughly hourlong speech was one of only two education policy-related points in a speech that mostly focused on economic policy. The president also made no mention of his efforts to eliminate up to $20,000 in student loan debt for borrowers making less than $125,000.
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“If you want America to have the best-educated workforce, let’s finish the job by providing access to preschool for 3- and 4-year-olds,” Biden said. “Studies show that children who go to preschool are nearly 50% more likely to finish high school and go on to earn a 2- or 4-year degree, no matter their background. Let’s give public school teachers a raise.”
The president also briefly touted his administration’s efforts to forgive student loan debt and increase Pell Grants. Legal challenges have bogged down the loan forgiveness plan, although the Supreme Court is slated to hear oral arguments in a case challenging the policy later this month.
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“We’re making progress by reducing student debt and increasing Pell Grants for working- and middle-class families,” he said. “Let’s finish the job, connect students to career opportunities starting in high school and provide two years of community college, some of the best career training in America, in addition to being a pathway to a four-year degree.”
