Ehrlich on Washington column, September 8, 2002

\EWS FROM I Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. Second Congressional District of Maryland 1 407 York Rood, Suit* 304 Lutherville, Morylond 2 1 093 315 Cannon House Office Building Washington, D.C 20515 EHRLICH ON WASHINGTON Week of September 8, 2002 By Congressman Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. Back to School for Students, Teachers and Parents The arrival of Fall brings some familiar pastimes back to Maryland, most notably Ravens football and Back to School season. As many Marylanders know, Back to School season applies to more than just kids. Parents must purchase school supplies that seem to rise in cost each year, and teachers must finish up their own studies in costly professional development classes. The rising costs associated with both public and private school is an issue that Republicans in Congress want to tackle head-on this fall. One of the foremost challenges we face in Maryland’s public schools is the chronic shortage of qualified teachers. Too many talented young folks pass up the teaching profession for a better salary in the private sector, which helps offset the costs of student loans. To make up for this shortfall, 22 percent of Maryland’s teachers are forced to teach courses they never studied in college. The number jumps to 35 percent in schools with high minority enrollment. Our kids deserve better. My Republican colleagues in Congress and I have developed a sure-fire method to attract college grads to the teaching profession through student loan assistance. Our plan would increase the maximum level of student loan forgiveness from $5,000 to $17,500 for folks who teach for five consecutive years in a public elementary or secondary school. Eligible grads must teach in any school district in America that receives Title I funding (or federal dollars targeted to schools in low-income districts.) I have also joined the Republican-led fight to support teachers who pay out-of-pocket expenses for classroom supplies, from textbooks to calculators. I have co-sponsored the Teacher Tax Relief Act, which doubles the above-the-line tax deduction for a teacher’s classroom expenses from $250 to $500. This initiative would also offset qualified professional development expenses that teachers incur each year in an effort to improve their classroom skills.