Back to school

Hey there,

Across the country, teachers and students are heading back to school. As a teacher, it’s one of my favorite times of the year — one filled with incredible optimism that reflects the hope that comes with a fresh start.

But we’re also at a make-or-break moment with our public education system. The same old debates have left us with underfunded schools, underpaid teachers, and growing inequality.

If we’re going to meet the challenges of today and the future, we have to get public education right. Peter has plans to transform how we fund our schools, value our teachers, and educate our students. Here are a few:

• The Douglass Plan lays out Peter’s vision for Schools of the Future, which is a commitment to provide the resources needed to ensure every American child has the skills they need to meet the economy of the future. This plan will increase funding for Title I schools; invest in recruiting, training, and supporting a more diverse teaching force; and ensure there’s more equal access to high-quality math and science classes.
• In his Commitment to America’s Heartland, Peter outlines a plan to reduce the teacher shortage in rural areas by 50% within 15 years.
• A New Call to Service shares how Peter will offer service opportunities for every young person who wants to meaningfully engage in their community. We believe that the experience of serving your community or your country, of standing shoulder-to-shoulder with other Americans for a greater purpose, is one that young people should be able to have without having to go to war.
• And this past weekend, Peter released a proposal on mental health and addiction. He calls for all schools to teach Mental Health First Aid courses, train teachers and school staff to know how to help students when needed, and equip students with tools to help them identify and respond to mental illness in themselves.

This is just the beginning of the new ideas Peter has to give our kids the opportunity they deserve, and prepare America to take on the challenges of the future.

If you’re a teacher heading back to school, from the bottom of my heart, thank you. Peter and I are so grateful for the work you do. A teaching mantra I learned very early on said, “students come to school every day to either learn or to be loved.” It is up to us teachers to figure out what they need every day. I want to make sure teachers across our country have the resources to do both.

If you’re a student, good luck! We believe in you. We see you. We are rooting for you.

Chasten

Pete for America 
PO Box 1226
South Bend, IN 46624
United States

Paid for by Pete For America.