Response from Sen. Shaheen to Our Letter

The faculty unions of Plymouth State University sent a letter to our NH Congressional Delegation regarding high education.

We were pleased to receive this response from Senator Jeanne Shaheen:

Thank you for contacting my office with your thoughts on education.  I appreciate hearing from you about this important issue.

As a former public school teacher, I share your commitment to supporting education in our country.  Every American must receive a quality education that will prepare him or her to be an active citizen of our democracy and to compete in the global economy.  It is important that Americans of all ages have the opportunity to improve their skills to help themselves and care for their families.

The federal government must also live up to its commitment to fully fund initiatives at all stages of a child’s education. In the Senate, I have been pleased to support increases in funding for programs that allow more low-income families and children with disabilities to access high quality educational opportunities, such as the Child Care and Development Block Grant and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. I also support extending opportunities for adult education so that New Hampshire students of all ages can learn the skills they need to be productive members of society.

As you know, students and educators in New Hampshire and across the country had to adjust to the sudden shift to distance learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a former public school teacher, I was deeply concerned about the impact of this devastating pandemic on all levels of our education system. That is why I worked to ensure that the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act included nearly $31 billion for education, of which more than $87 million is supporting students, teachers and institutions of education in New Hampshire.

In December 2020, a bipartisan emergency COVID-19 relief package that I introduced with my colleagues was signed into law. This critical bill provided $900 billion in urgently needed assistance to American students, families and businesses impacted by the public health and economic crises. Importantly, this legislation provided more than $80 billion in emergency relief to states, K-12 schools and colleges and universities. This emergency funding includes $4 billion for states for a Governors Emergency Education Relief Fund, $54.3 billion to elementary and secondary schools and $22.7 billion for higher education.

On March 11, 2021, President Biden signed into law the American Rescue Plan Act, a $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package that was passed by Congress with my support. This critically important legislation allocated an additional $122 billion to support K-12 schools across the country through the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund. New Hampshire schools received $350 million of this funding.As a parent, grandparent, former public school teacher, Governor and Senator, I’ve always cared deeply about providing equal opportunity for all children.  Please be assured that I will continue to fight for access to quality education in New Hampshire and across the country.  Thank you again for sharing your thoughts with me, and please do not hesitate to contact my office with any future concerns.

Sincerely,

Jeanne Shaheen
United States Senator

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