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Teachers union president says US has never properly invested in public schools

National Education Association President Becky Pringle on Tuesday said the U.S. has failed to invest in public education the way it should, pointing to Vice President Kamala Harris’ approach as a solution.

“What we do know is that here in America, we have never invested in our public schools the way we know we need to,” Pringle said in an interview with C-SPAN. “We have never reached that level of equitable funding so that those students who need more get more. We’ve never done that.”

For this reason, Pringle said Americans should side with the Harris-Walz campaign, due to its support of public education.

“We must invest in our schools, in our students, and in the men and women who have dedicated their lives to educating American students,” she said. “With Vice President Harris, not only does she have a proven track record, but she also has a vision of how we continue to move forward, making sure that every single one of our students has what they need when they need it, including having a qualified teacher and support staff in their schools.”

The U.S. spent $927 billion on public elementary and secondary education during the 2020-2021 school year, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. This amounts to $18,614 per public school student enrolled in the fall of that academic year.

The U.S. ranked eighth on a list of annual public education spending by country compiled by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development in December. When accounting for both public and private expenditures, the U.S. moved up to second place.

NEA endorsed Harris for president last month, and Pringle herself has been an open supporter of the campaign. She says Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Harris’ running mate, earned her respect as an “education governor” during his time leading the Gopher State.

“Gov. Walz is known as the ‘Education Governor’ because he has been an unwavering champion for public school students and educators, and an ally for working families and unions,” the NEA president said in a statement.

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