1. Short title This Act may be cited as the EDUCATORS for America Act . 2. Findings Congress finds the following: (1) Despite an increased need for prekindergarten through grade 12 teachers, the number of students completing bachelor’s degrees in education has been in decline over the last 2 decades. (2) Pay is by far the reason that undergraduates cite most often for not pursuing teaching as a career. Pay was named as such a reason by 72 percent of respondents in a large 2018 survey of prospective college students. (3) Because they earn less than other bachelor’s degree recipients, teachers face particular challenges repaying student loans. Estimated payments on the average amount education graduates have borrowed is equivalent to 9 percent of the average starting teacher salary, well in excess of the 7 percent threshold recommended by economists as affordable for borrowers at that income level. (4) The number of students earning undergraduate and graduate degrees in the high-demand specialties of mathematics, science, and foreign language education are in decline and the numbers earning degrees in special education and teaching English as a second language are insufficient to meet demand in many localities. (5) Prior to COVID–19, the number of institutions offering degrees in education was stable, but the number with small programs was on the rise. One-third of the 1,500 institutions that award bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education granted 30 or fewer such degrees in 2019. (6) An October 2020 survey of American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education members, which includes 700 schools, colleges, and departments of education at public and private 4-year colleges and universities, revealed that nearly 60 percent have experienced a decline in undergraduate enrollment due to COVID–19, 83 percent have had budget cuts, and half have reduced staffing. The Association predicts that, absent additional support, a sizable number of educator preparation programs will close, eliminating needed capacity to