[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 219 (Wednesday, November 15, 2023)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 78217-78219]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-25338]




                        Presidential Documents 



Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 219 / Wednesday, November 15, 2023 / 
Presidential Documents

___________________________________________________________________

Title 3--
The President

[[Page 78217]]

                Proclamation 10671 of November 9, 2023

                
American Education Week, 2023

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                The promise of America has always been tied to the 
                promise of our public education. This American 
                Education Week, we celebrate our schools as beacons of 
                hope and possibility, pillars of our communities, and 
                cornerstones of our democracy. We recommit to investing 
                in all the schools, educators, and staff--the kite 
                strings that keep our national ambitions aloft.

                A great education opens doors and changes lives. From 
                our astronauts, artists, scientists, and software 
                developers to our engineers, entrepreneurs, 
                manufacturers, and medical professionals, countless 
                Americans first discovered their potential in our 
                public schools. Many further honed their talents in our 
                universities, community colleges, Registered 
                Apprenticeship programs, and career and technical 
                education programs. That is what makes our Nation one 
                of possibilities: Here in the United States everyone 
                has the chance to learn, grow, and pursue their dreams, 
                no matter who they are or where they grew up. But there 
                is more we can still do to ensure every child has a 
                fair shot. Despite heroic efforts by our Nation's 
                teachers, the pandemic further deepened existing 
                achievement gaps after years of flat or declining 
                achievement in math and reading nationwide.

                That is why my Administration has secured a historic 
                $130 billion for America's K-12 schools. This funding 
                has put more teachers in our classrooms and more 
                counselors, social workers, and other staff in our 
                schools. Additionally, this funding is providing high-
                quality tutoring, supporting record expansions of 
                summer and after-school programming, improving air 
                quality in schools, addressing environmental and safety 
                needs in aging school buildings, and creating other 
                critical initiatives designed to support our students. 
                We also recognize that our students cannot thrive at 
                school unless they are healthy and safe. The American 
                Rescue Plan also made our country's biggest-ever 
                investment in mental health and substance use programs, 
                supplying the resources to recruit, train, and support 
                more providers at the State and local levels--including 
                in our schools. I also signed the Bipartisan Safer 
                Communities Act into law--the first major Federal gun 
                safety legislation passed in nearly 30 years, getting 
                us closer to a world where every school in America is 
                free from the threat of gun violence. This legislation 
                also included historic levels of funding to address 
                youth mental health, including $2 billion to create 
                safe, inclusive learning environments for students and 
                hire and train more mental health professionals for 
                schools, which is where students are most likely to 
                receive these crucial services. My Administration also 
                released a national strategy to end hunger and reduce 
                diet-related diseases in America by 2030--including by 
                advancing a pathway to provide free, healthy school 
                meals for all children.

                We are fighting for our youngest learners too. We know 
                that if we start early in both reading and math and 
                make kindergarten a sturdy bridge between the early 
                years and early grades, we set the stage for their 
                lasting academic success. In fact, providing America's 
                children with a strong foundation during their first 5 
                years can form the basis for lifelong health and well-
                being as well as achievement in education and their 
                future careers.

[[Page 78218]]

                I will continue to press for high-quality, free 
                preschool for all three- and four-year-olds.

                My Administration also secured nearly $40 billion for 
                colleges and universities in the American Rescue Plan. 
                Importantly, we have invested billions of dollars in 
                Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribal 
                Colleges and Universities, and Minority Serving 
                Institutions, such as Hispanic-Serving Institutions and 
                Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-
                Serving Institutions. I have made it a priority to make 
                college more affordable for Americans, and have worked 
                with the Congress to increase the maximum Pell Grant by 
                $900 since the beginning of my Administration, helping 
                over 6 million eligible students pay for school. 
                Further, my Administration has approved $127 billion in 
                student loan debt relief for nearly 3.6 million 
                borrowers--more than any President in history. We have 
                also fixed the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program 
                so that borrowers who go into public service, including 
                public school teachers, get the debt relief they have 
                earned. Borrowers who work in public service can apply 
                for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program at 
                www.studentaid.gov/pslf. Our SAVE plan, once fully 
                implemented, will make student loan repayment more 
                affordable than ever before, slashing payments to $0 
                for borrowers who earn less than about $15 an hour, 
                saving them over $1,000 a year, and ending the runaway 
                student loan interest responsible for ballooning 
                balances. Enrolling in SAVE takes less than 10 minutes.

                While we are making historic investments in colleges 
                and universities, we also believe that every person in 
                our Nation deserves access to the American Dream, 
                whether they have a college degree or not. That is why 
                we have invested more in Registered Apprenticeships and 
                technical career training programs than any 
                administration in history. These programs empower 
                workers to earn while they learn and offer them a path 
                toward good-paying jobs. In addition, the Departments 
                of Education and Labor are collaborating to expand 
                Registered Apprenticeships for educators. To help raise 
                a new generation of talented educators from 
                underrepresented backgrounds, we are working to 
                increase high-quality teacher preparation programs and 
                strengthen and diversify the teacher pipeline.

                During American Education Week, we recognize the 
                critical role education plays in realizing the defining 
                creed of our Nation--that we are a land of 
                possibilities. We celebrate all the dedicated 
                educators, school counselors, nurses, bus drivers, 
                security guards, custodians, cafeteria workers, and 
                other school staff, who keep our schools running and 
                support our students' health, safety, and success. 
                Together, we will ensure that every student has the 
                resources and opportunities they need to thrive.

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of 
                the United States of America, by virtue of the 
                authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws 
                of the United States, do hereby proclaim November 12 
                through November 18, 2023, as American Education Week. 
                I call upon all Americans to mark this week with 
                appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities 
                honoring those who devote their talents and energies to 
                helping our children reach their full potential and to 
                building school communities where all students feel 
                they belong.

[[Page 78219]]

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                ninth day of November, in the year of our Lord two 
                thousand twenty-three, and of the Independence of the 
                United States of America the two hundred and forty-
                eighth.
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                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2023-25338
Filed 11-14-23; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3395-F4-P