Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1316347
of Biden is the dawn of a new era for public schools with a president who believes in the value of education and is ready to invest in opportunity for all students. "For America's educators, this is a great day : You're going to have one of your own in the White House," Biden said of his wife, educator and NEA member Jill Biden, during his Nov. 7 victory speech. Biden has committed to appointing an educator to replace DeVos as secretary of education, with for- mer NEA President Lily Eskelsen García on the early short list of potential sel e ctions. Bi d en has promised much-needed i nv e stm e n t i n p u b li c education — hundreds of b i l l i o n s of d o l l a r s for preschool through h i g h e r e d u c a t i o n , a s w e l l a s f u n d i n g f o r s c h o o l s t o d e a l w i t h C O V I D - 1 9 e x p e n s e s . e administration is already working to provide clear direction on how to physically reopen schools safely. " We look forward to working with and supporting the Biden-Harris administration as we prioritize safely reopening schools for in-person teaching and learning, and having the resources, testing and necessary safety measures in place to protect our students, educators and communities," Boyd says. According to the Washington Post, Biden has sup- ported at least $88 billion to stabilize state education funding and help pay for protective equipment, venti- lation systems, class size reduction, and other expenses associated with operating schools during the pandemic. Additionally, the president-elect has promised to triple Title I funding for schools in high-poverty areas; double the number of psychologists, counselors, nurses and social workers in schools; and dramatically increase federal spending for special education. Biden's priorities for education include funding uni- versal pre-K for all children ages 3-4 and doubling grants to help low-income students pay for college. "Our newly elected leaders recognize public education is the very fiber of our democracy and are committed to working alongside educators to ensure America's students have an equitable, just and adequately funded system that promotes unity through opportunity and inclusivity in our schools and colleges," Boyd says. See Educators Run (and Win) Ever Flores, Healdsburg Area Teachers Association Chris Cruz-Boone, Kern CCD/CCA Demetrio Gonzalez-Hoy, United Teachers of Richmond "For America's educators, this is a great day: You're going to have one of your own in the White House." —President-elect Joe Biden, of his wife Jill Biden in his Nov. 7 victory speech The following CTA members were elected or reelected to serve on local school boards. GREG BONACCORSI, Ohlone Community College District DON BRIDGE, Chino Valley Unified School District CHRIS CRUZ-BOONE, Bakersfield City School District EVER FLORES, Santa Rosa City Schools MICHELLE GATES, National School District MICHAEL GONZÁLES, New Haven Unified School District DEMETRIO GONZALEZ-HOY, West Contra Costa Unified School District AMARJIT "A J" KAUR, John Swett Unified School District CHRISTOPHER POPE, Visalia Unified School District ROBERTO RODRIGUEZ, Palomar Community College District KEN TANG, Alhambra Unified School District CAROLYN TORRES, Santa Ana Unified School District LUCY UGARTE, Chula Vista Elementary School District VANCEDRIC WILLIAMS, Oakland Unified School District If you ran for office and won, email us at editor@cta.org and we'll add you to the online list. 44 cta.org Advocacy