The association has endorsed two bills that align with the association’s education and race equity priorities.
The Educators for America Act, introduced by Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) and Representative Alma Adams (D-NC), would reauthorize Title II of the Higher Education Act to ensure all students have access to qualified educators by strengthening educator preparation programs, recruiting and retaining a diverse educator workforce, investing in partnerships between higher education and state and local school districts, and supporting innovation to meet the changing needs of students. The bill would require teacher training and professional development programs to include tenets of psychological science, such as those featured in APA’s Top 20 Principles from Psychology for PreK-12 Teaching and Learning (PDF, 1.54MB).
“The Educators for America Act would address the teacher shortages that are so harmful to our education system and ensure that teachers receive the necessary training to provide high-quality and equitable instruction that meets the academic, social and emotional needs of all students,” said Arthur C. Evans Jr., PhD, CEO of the American Psychological Association. “The need to strengthen, diversify, and grow a qualified educator workforce, including by incorporating principles of psychological science into the pre-service training and professional development of teachers, was great even before the pandemic.”
The African American History Act, introduced by Representative Jamaal Bowman (D-NY), would provide funding and authorize a program through the National Museum of African American History and Culture to provide resources, technical support, professional development, and disseminate research and teaching materials related to African American History. This legislation aligns with the principles of the recently adopted Council resolution on the Role of Psychology and APA in Dismantling Systemic Racism Against People of Color in U.S.
For more information, contact Kenneth Polishchuk.