The Five Promises of Biden's Education Program

Reading Time: 11 minutes

US President-elect Joe Biden’s education program makes five promises to transform America’s education.

For voters in the United States, education is among the primary factors they consider at voting. According to a Gallup poll conducted in September among registered voters, 82 % felt this area to be “extremely important” or “very important.”

The voting has concluded. Joe Biden is the winning candidate, garnering more than seven million popular votes over his rival, Donald Trump. If education is a primary issue in any election campaign, what will the country’s educational plan under Joe Biden?

The Trump-DeVos period

Considering education, the importance of voting in this election arises from four problematic years for the country’s educational system. At the beginning of his presidency, Donald Trump appointed Betsy DeVos as U.S. Secretary of Education. DeVos, a philanthropist and political donor to the Republican Party, was the first Secretary of Education to serve in 35 years who did not attend or send their children to public schools. DeVos was highly criticized as many people believed that she did not have the knowledge or experience to execute her position.

Since taking office, DeVos has proposed billions of dollars in cuts in her Department, resulting in reductions in the class sizes, extracurricular programs, and many other educational items and programs. Also, DeVos proposed that universities conduct cross-examinations of sexual assault and harassment accusers, which could deter many abuse victims from reporting their offenders. She is also accused of promoting standardized testing, operating schools via a business model, and promoting charter schools at public schools’ expense. Her husband, Dick DeVos, founded a private aviation school. This current Secretary of Education also has failed to combat gun violence in the schools.

Biden’s Plan for Education

Although he is not yet in power and has not announced who will be in charge of the country’s educational program, Joe Biden promises to provide educators with the support and respect they need to “prepare their students to succeed in tomorrow’s economy.”

“For United States’ educators, this is a great day: they are going to have one of their own in the White House, and Jill will be a great First Lady,” Biden said in his acceptance speech. Biden refers to Jill Biden, his wife, a teacher at the Northern Virginia Community College, and does not intend to leave her teaching position during the presidency. This will be the first time in history that a First Lady will continue working during her tenure at the White House. Also, Joe Biden has more than 30 years of experience working as a teacher, which excites the educational community of teachers, teaching assistants, social workers, drivers, cooks, and support staff.

As for policies, what Biden proposes are five distinct promises for educators, students, and the future of education:

Supporting educators by giving them the salary and dignity they deserve.
Investing in schools’ resources to train physically and emotionally healthy adults, so educators can focus on teaching.
Ensuring that no child’s future is determined by their zip code, household income, ethnicity, or disability.
Providing every high school and prep school student with a path to a successful career.
Investing in new generations from birth.

Also, he has three points for education beyond high school:

To invest in community colleges and training to improve students’ opportunities for success and develop a healthier, more prosperous, and inclusive middle class.
To strengthen universities as a reliable path to the middle class, not as an investment that provides limited returns and leaves graduates with mountains of debt they cannot afford.
To support community colleges and universities that play unique and vital roles in their communities, including historically African-American colleges and universities and institutions serving minorities.

Supporting teachers through higher salaries and support for the profession

One of the most significant proposals in Biden’s campaign is to provide teachers with the salary and dignity they deserve. The economic issue is a severe problem in the country, so 66 % of U.S. citizens believe teaching is a poorly paid profession. This is reflected in the decreasing number of people wanting to devote themselves to education.

The next President also recognizes that 20% of teachers must work a second job because they do not earn enough to support themselves or their families. Beyond low wages, the problem is that many educators have to pay out of their own pockets to buy school supplies and materials for their classes. As if that is not enough, many of them are responsible for training their peers and acting as social workers, nurses, and many other duties, without receiving extra compensation.

In his plan for education, Biden details that since 1996, the average weekly sal’ average weekly salary has not increased, worrying because he regards the profession as one of the most important and challenging to practice. To counter this problem, Biden proposes triple the funds for Title I, the federal program that funds schools with a high percentage of lo
w-income families. The purpose is to use these resources to provide better wages and allow school districts and educators to prioritize their needs.

Biden will also invest in tutoring, leadership, and continuing education for teachers to advance in their careers and even be reimbursed for the additional work they do, such as training their peers. Title I can also obtain other certifications in high-demand areas, such as special education or bilingual certifications.

Investing in resources for students to become physically and emotionally healthy adults

To fulfill his second promise to the education sector, Biden proposes doubling the number of psychologists, counselors, nurses, and social workers in schools so that each child receives the physical and mental care they need.

One of every five children in the United States experiences mental health problems and does not have a trained professional caring for them. Even considering all the help a teacher can provide, the teacher generally does not have the necessary training to practice as a psychologist. Unfortunately, schools do not have enough staff for this. The experts recommend that there be a maximum of one psychologist per 500 to 700 students. However, approximately one psychologist per 1,400 students is currently creating a gap of about 35,000 to 60,000 school psychologists. Biden plans to double the number of school mental health professionals and counselors, nurses, and social workers. He plans to partner schools with universities to expand the trajectories of future graduates.

He also proposes to expand the model of community schools that work with families, students, teachers, and community leaders to identify the needs of families. Once identified, a plan would be created to leverage the community resources to benefit the schools and turn them into community centers. This could benefit up to 300,000 additional students and their families.

On the other hand, the American Society of Civil Engineers rated U.S. public school facilities with a D+ (or 6.44 out of 10). School infrastructures are underfinanced by $46 billion, resulting in thousands of outdated, unsafe, and unsuitable institutions. During his presidency, Biden will include federal funds to improve school infrastructures. First, he plans to assess the risks of today’s buildings and then construct state-of-the-art facilities with technology and laboratories “to meet the challenges of the future.”

Another crucial aspect of Biden’s educational proposal is student safety and curbing gun violence. To address this problem, Biden proposes regulatory laws for weapons, rather than arming teachers. The regulations will prevent assault weapons and high-capacity magazines and require universal background checks to keep guns or weapons from people who use them dangerously and make the weapons inaccessible to students.

No child should be singled out by zip code, household income, ethnicity, or disability

For Biden, primary and secondary schooling (K-12 in the United States) is no longer enough to ensure the workforce’s competitiveness in a globalized world.

Approximately 6 of every ten jobs in the United States require education beyond a high school diploma. Unfortunately, many families do not have the resources to support the continuance of their children’s education, causing a performance gap that begins when the children enter preschool.

The President-elect recognizes that part of the problem is systemic racism that permeates society and the schools. For him, it is critical to allow all people to advance regardless of their zip code, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, or disability. He promises to build an educational system in his government that invests in children from birth, helping them obtain an education beyond high school, whether it is a professional certificate or a college diploma.

There is an estimated annual funding gap of $23 billion between white and non-white school districts. Biden plans to triple Title I funds to combat this problem, allocating them for teachers’ salaries and low-income-family schools and schools that three- and four-year-olds can access to receive quality preschool education. Once these three improvements have been secured, the school districts will have the flexibility to use these funds for their local priorities. The states that fail to provide sufficient and equitable financing will have to match a portion of the federal funds.

To combat systemic racism, Biden plans to improve faculty diversity. According to studies, having a diverse workforce of teachers with various ethnicities has a substantial impact on students from racialized minorities. For them, having this type of figure in schools reduces students’ likelihood of dropping out of school.

He will also help paraprofessionals obtain their teaching certificates and work with historically black colleges and universities and other institutions serving minorities to hire and train teachers.

For Biden, it is essential to build better, more innovative schools for low-income and minority communities. The workforce needs students who have rigorously-acquired knowledge and technical, problem-solving, and collaborative skills. That is why he will create a new program that challenges local communities to reinvent high schools to satisfy these demands.

As in the Obama administration, when schools diversified more, Biden will seek to re-establish the Department of Education’s guidance to schools in the legal pursuit of desegregation strategies and higher education institutions known for their interest in creating diverse student bodies.

Biden will also support children with disabilities by ensuring that the federal government covers 40% of the additional costs of special education required by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, enacted in 1990. Currently, only 14% of these costs are covered.

Providing every high school student with a path to a successful career

Joe Biden is critical that American schools no longer have instructional classes in a trade, such as carpentry. Hence, he plans to invest in school vocational training and partnerships among high schools, community colleges, and employers.

These partnerships will create programs that allow students to gain the knowledge they need to have a successful career. These classes can also provide technical and professional training in information systems to prepare students for virtual reality and artificial intelligence.

Investing in the new generations from birth

Biden plans to provide funding to ensure an early childhood development expert at each community health center. A pediatrician’s office is the only place where many families with young children interact with service providers before entering school. Biden believes it is the best place to assess that children are developing well and be ready to help them need additional support, like home health visits. If they develop well from an early age, they will be more successful when entering kindergarten.

Biden’s plan for education beyond high school

Following his mindset that secondary education is not enough to prepare students to confront the challenges of an increasingly globalized and technology-driven economy, Biden believes that this preparation will be sufficient to live in the middle class in the future and be competitive as a nation. Six of every ten workers require training beyond high school; however, this option is unattainable for many people.

Investing in community colleges to improve student success and grow a healthier, more prosperous, and inclusive middle class

Community colleges are a high-quality tool for providing education to the middle class and accessible, quality programs enabling students to complete the first two years of a college degree at a low cost.

Although these institutions have limited resources, they still provide affordable, high-quality education. However, Donald Trump’s government did not invest in them to improve their programs or graduation rates. Biden’s administration will do everything possible to support them as he knows their potential very well, especially since his wife, Jill Biden, is a community college professor. That is why he will seek to provide support to workers wanting to attend two years at these institutions or other training programs without them having to acquire student debt. Through legislation, he will ensure that any workers, immigrants who arrived in the country as children, and even people who never had the opportunity to study, can do it without paying tuition for up to two years. His proposal is for the federal government to cover 75% of the costs and the states to cover the rest.

Also, Biden will help community schools that implement innovative, evidence-based practices to retain their students. His reforms will seek to include academic and professional advisory services for teachers, improvements in salaries and benefits, and professional development to hire and retain teachers.

In his government, the President-elect will address barriers that prevent students from obtaining a degree from a community college. Biden understands that many students do not finish their studies because they have to work while maintaining a family, care for minors, and other situations. His government will offer various scholarship opportunities such as the Federal Pell Grant Program, state scholarships, and other grants to cover their fees and tuition expenses. Also, Biden will provide financial incentives to states that work with institutions and community organizations that support students, veterans, single parents, low-income individuals, people of racialized ethnicity, and those with disabilities. Support will include textbooks, transportation, childcare, mental health care, teacher tutoring, and support groups.

He will invest $50 billion in training programs to support collaborations among businesses, community colleges, unions, state and local governments, other universities, and high schools to identify the demand for skills and create more career internship opportunities. Also, Biden will invest $8 billion to improve facility health and safety and equip schools with the technology necessary to succeed in the global economy.

Strengthening universities to be a viable path to the middle class (without student debt)

Approximately 44 million United States citizens have student debts that amount to $1.5 trillion in loans for their studies. One of every five of these adults are behind in their payments, exacerbating the deficit and creating a wealth gap that significantly impacts the black community. Even today, one of every ten people between the ages of 40 and 50 continue to repay their student loans.

Although part of the problem is that the cost of higher education has nearly doubled since the mid-1990s, the states have drastically reduced their support. That is why Joe Biden will focus on offering the first two years in community colleges completely free. He also plans to halve tuition costs for a four-year college degree and create federal-state alliances to ensure that every state invests in community colleges.

On the other hand, Biden plans to make public colleges and universities free for all families with incomes under $125,000. He will lead support for low-income and middle-class people through Pell Grants, which in the 1970s covered 70% to 80% of the cost of a four-year college degree and now covers only about 30%. Biden plans to double the percentage of this support to close the gap between low-income people and the rich. During Trump’s presidency, the DREAMers were not eligible for these scholarships, a mistake Biden plans to correct during his presidency. He also plans to halve federal undergraduate student loan payments and base it on the borrower’s income. Those earning less than $25,000 a year will not have to repay federal loans or have interest on their debt. The others will pay 5% of their income minus taxes and essential expenses. If, after 20 years, the borrower has paid responsibly but has not fully paid off the debt, the balance will be forgiven. Biden also plans to create a program that will offer $10,000 of student debt relief to public servants for each year of service, up to five years.

With Title I’s help, he will help low-income students attending a four-year college to complete their studies. He will also provide funds to foster collaboration between institutions and community organizations to provide students with comprehensive support.

Support for universities that play unique and vital roles for minorities

Universities and community colleges that support minorities, such as black, Asian, Hispanic, or indigenous people, lack resources. Biden will incl
ude these students in his income-based loan plan and provide free tuition, especially for the black community and indigenous tribes.

He will also invest more than $70 billion in these community colleges and public universities to make these resource-poor, historically black, tribal, and minority institutions and universities more accessible to students. Biden plans to invest $18 billion to repay the four-year universities, which equates to up to two tuition damages.

To ensure that his proposal does not undermine private schools supporting minorities, Biden will invest additional funds to reduce their costs, improve retention and graduation rates, and close the equity gaps for students from minorities and racialized ethnicities.

The Biden Administration will invest $10 billion to create 200 new education centers to serve as research incubators, primarily focusing on climate change, globalization, inequality, and health to make learning and career opportunities. Also, it will promote agricultural research in land-grant institutions, especially those for black and indigenous students. It will devote additional priority funding flows to federal agencies for minority payments and contracts. It will also boost the construction of laboratories and institutions with new technology and digital infrastructure by investing $20 billion so that minorities have a place to learn, research, and innovate. These funds will also be used to provide broadband in rural areas.

The next United States President also seeks to ensure that all the minority public universities have access to low-cost, federal capital financing programs. He looks for how the states can leverage these programs and incentivize more public, private, and philanthropic investments in school infrastructure. To achieve this, he will invest $10 billion in programs that increase enrollment, retention, financing, and employment rates for minorities. These programs may even include partnerships among high schools, universities, and employers and cover make-up classes, tutoring or advice services, and programs that improve wages, benefits, and professional development as well as ways to retain them.

Besides supporting college education, Biden will invest $5 billion in graduate programs in education, health care, and STEM. There will be funds to develop internships and professional programs at major research institutions, including the Department of Energy’s National Laboratories, the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, and the Department of Defense.

Tripling student support for minorities through Title III and Title V of the Higher Education Act will serve as a lifeline for minority-focused public universities with limited resources, ensuring their students’ success. To avoid the diversion of funds, Biden will require each state to publish reports of its funding allocations to ensure that they address the inequalities and problems sought to be combated by these supports.

President-elect Joe Biden recognizes the role that education will play in keeping the United States a competitive country in an economy where studying for a college degree is no longer enough. Moreover, due to their careers, Joe and Jill Biden know the shortcomings in the public education sector. To improve any country’s educational system, one must start by supporting teachers economically and professionally and developing children from birth to post-high school, especially low-income families. In the end, these are proposals that only have the potential to transform education in the United States; however, there is a long road to travel.

Translation by Daniel Wetta.

Paulette Delgado

This article from Observatory of the Institute for the Future of Education may be shared under the terms of the license CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

The Five Promises of Biden’s Education Program