SENATOR SUSAN COLLINS INTRODUCES BILL TO RAISE TEACHER TAX DEDUCTION TO $500 AND TO EXPAND ELIGIBILITY

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Susan Collins is going to bat for teachers once again in an effort to give them greater tax relief for spending their own money on classroom supplies and professional development. Senator Collins was successful earlier this year in incorporating a $250 dollar above-the-line tax deduction for teachers for their out-of-pocket classroom costs into the economic stimulus bill. Her new legislation, the Teacher Tax Relief Act of 2002, doubles the amount educators can deduct and makes the tax break permanent. The bill also expands eligibility for the deduction to include professional development. "While this bill provides financial assistance to educators, its ultimate beneficiaries will be their students," said Senator Collins. "Other than involved parents, a well-qualified teacher is the most important prerequisite for student success. Educational researchers have demonstrated the close relationship between qualified educators and successful students. Moreover, educators themselves understand how important professional development is to maintaining and extending their levels of competence. When I meet with teachers from Maine, they repeatedly tell me of their need for more professional development and the scarcity of financial support for this worthy pursuit."

Regarding classroom supplies, Senator Collins has spoken to countless teachers who make the sacrifice of spending their own money so that their students have an enhanced classroom experience.

"Debra Walker has been a kindergarten and first grade teacher at Milo Elementary for more than 25 years. She spends hundreds of dollars on books, bulletin boards, computer software, crayons, construction paper, tissue paper, stamps, and inkpads, and even donated her own family computer for use by her class. She told me, ‘These are the extras that are needed to make learning fun for children and to create a stimulating learning environment.'

"Tyler Nutter, a middle school math and reading teacher from North Berwick, is a new recruit to the teaching profession. After teaching for just two years, Tyler has incurred substantial ‘start-up' fees as he builds his collection of needed teaching supplies. In his first years at his job, he has spent well over $500 out of his own pocket each year, purchasing books and other materials that are essential to his teaching program. This, while he's still paying off the loans for his education the University of Maine-Farmington. He told me, ‘I have car payments and a wedding to pay for, I am saving for a house, and I hope someday go back to get an advanced degree. Starting out as a teacher was a pretty daunting process given the relatively low pay. But as a teacher, you feel committed to getting your students what they need, even if it is coming out of your own pocket.' said Tyler.

The tax relief passed earlier this year was a step in the right direction, the Senator said, adding, "We need to recognize the extra mile teachers often go to for their students."

Senator Collins's Teacher Tax Relief Act of 2002 has bipartisan support and is endorsed by the National Education Association.