Thread by @AFTunion

HAPPENING NOW: @Rweingartne joins @hshierholz, @BeckyPringle, and @ailenarreaza for a panel on strengthening education. Follow along in the thread below.

https://twitter.com/EconomicPolicy/status/1578017991807373312

Right, @hshierholz: A big part of the staffing shortages we're seeing with teachers and school support staff is pay. The employment losses that came with COVID compounded the shortages we faced after the Great Recession. #EdChat #WhatKidsNeed @EconomicPolicy

.@hshierholz: There are COVID state & local fiscal recovery funds, and state & local revenues have rebounded from COVID. There is money to hire, and school districts are trying to. But people aren't willing to fill these jobs because of low pay. @EconomicPolicy #WhatKidsNeed

.@rweingarten: AFT put out a report called "Here Today, Gone Tomorrow" about the teaching profession. Teaching and school support staffs have never been well paid, and have never been easy. But low pay and politics have made it even harder. aft.org/sites/default/…

.@rweingarten: As we emerge from the pandemic, and we work with parents and students to help them thrive, we need to hope and we need to take action. I think of this year in the Rs: Reading, writing, and arithmatic, sure, but also relationships and recovery. #WhatKidsNeed

.@rweingarten: We're focused on investing in our schools. The COVID funding has helped, but this is temporary. We need states & localities to make this funding and investment more reliable, especially schools that need the most funding. #WhatKidsNeed

.@rweingarten: This is a moment where we have to create as much equity & normalcy as possible. We're focused like lasers on literacy, career & tech pathways in school (not just college), community schools, & building bridges between educators and parents. #WhatKidsNeed

.@rweingarten: As others ban books, AFT and @FirstBook to give away diverse books through our #ReadingOpensTheWorld program. We've given 750K books to kids, and you can see the joy of children reading books where they see themselves in it. #WhatKidsNeed aft.org/read

.@rweingarten: We're trying to take concrete action to restore hope, a sense of belonging, and rebuild relationships. Because as we come out of COVID, we need schools to be foundational to community and stepping stones for accelerating learning. #WhatKidsNeed

.@BeckyPringle: Educator shortages are a chronic problem. We've seen fewer students going to college to study education. We know far too many new teachers leave in the firs few years. Calling for better pay and conditions is not new. We have a systemic problem. #WhatKidsNeed

.@BeckyPringle: As @rweingarten said, there's a through line from the problem to solutions. We've heard teachers across the country talk about the low pay, and the challenges in teaching. We have to prepare and support and respect the next generation of educators. #WhatKidsNeed