COLLINS PUSHES TO INCREASE TEACHER TAX CREDIT

Washington, DC -- Senator Susan Collins is backing efforts to extend the Teacher Tax Credit, which was originally created by legislation that was authored by Senator Collins. She is urging the Senate to approve an amendment that would extend the Teacher Tax Credit for two more years. The tax credit allows teachers a $250 deduction for classroom supplies they purchase with their own money.

"This is a modest but significant step toward recognizing the invaluable services that teachers provide each and every day to our children and to our communities," said Senator Collins. "More often than not, teachers in Maine and throughout the country take money out of their own pockets and their own salaries to improve the classroom experiences of their students. I have visited more than a hundred schools in Maine, and everywhere I go I find teachers who are sacrificing their own money to better educate our children."

The National Education Association estimates that on average teachers spend $400 a year on classroom supplies. A more recent survey by Quality Education Data showed that teachers spend more than an average of $520 a year.