Dupage Policy Journal

Washington, D.C. - On September 8, Representatives Sean Casten (D-IL-06) and Tim Burchett (R-TN-02) introduced the bipartisan Educators Expense Deduction Modernization Act of 2023. This bill would increase the amount educators are able to deduct on qualified out-of-pocket classroom expenses on their annual tax return from $250 to $1,000 and keep it indexed to inflation to ensure the deduction keeps pace with rising costs. 

Earlier this week, Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) introduced companion legislation in the Senate.

“Educators are the backbone of American society,” said Congressman Sean Casten. “They play a critical role in developing future generations, and no teacher should have to dig into their own pockets to buy essential classroom supplies. Ensuring our students get the best educational experience means having functional, comfortable, and resource-filled learning environments. We should not expect teachers to pay hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars to provide the supplies necessary to educate students. It is past time that the federal government invests in our educators.”

“I come from a family of public educators, and time and time again I saw them gladly spend their own limited income on their students. The federal government has no business putting such a low cap on what teachers can deduct from their taxes when they are being so generous with these kids,” said Congressman Tim Burchett. 

“It is so refreshing to see this issue being addressed at the federal level. For years, teachers and support professionals have been dipping into their own pockets to ensure classrooms are not only properly supplied to maximize student learning, but also to guarantee those rooms are welcoming and inclusive to all. It isn’t cheap. Educators frequently spend $1,000, or more, of their salaries each year to help make sure their students succeed. There aren’t a lot of other professions where this holds true. So, allowing them to seek tax relief is one way to respect educators for the support they provide to their students,” said IEA President Al Llorens.

“Representative Sean Casten's introduction of the Educators Expense Deduction Modernization Act comes at a critical time for our dedicated educators. This legislation is a small, but very meaningful change to help teachers take on the costs they incur to create the environment they need to help them do their jobs. Teachers spend their hard-earned money to create a good environment for students to learn. This will help offset these out-of-pocket expenses. It won’t cover everything, but it’s a needed change that would be tied to inflation which is good policy. Everything we can do to demonstrate that we value our country's educators, we should do,” said IFT President Dan Montgomery.

America’s educators are foundational in preparing the next generation of leaders and promoting students’ academic, social, and emotional well-being. Teachers serve as role models for students and connect young people, families, and communities with essential student support and services. Despite this, teachers are paid 23 percent less in weekly wages than other college graduates and nearly one-fifth of all teachers work a second job to compensate for their low earnings. 

Too many school districts have yet to invest in education and raise educator salaries, leading to  94% of public-school teachers reportedly digging into their own pockets to pay for classroom supplies, without reimbursement. Nearly 1-in-10 teachers are reportedly spending more than $1,000 on supplies they need to run their classrooms and educate our nation’s students, with one analysis suggesting that they spend an average of more than $820 out-of-pocket on school supplies.

Besides increasing the amount educators can deduct on qualified out-of-pocket classroom expenses on their annual tax return from $250 to $1,000, the Educators Expense Deduction Modernization Act would also expand the deduction to all eligible K-12 educators – including teachers, but also counselors, principals, and other educational instructors and aides. This small but meaningful change would demonstrate how much we value our country’s educators and recognize the personal sacrifices they make to ensure our students have the resources to learn.

You can find text of the Educators Expense Deduction Modernization Act here.

This bill is endorsed by: Teach Plus, the Illinois Education Association (IEA), the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), and the Illinois Federation of Teachers (IFT)

Original source can be found here.