Biden rolls out first campaign policy, focusing on nation’s schools

Biden’s plan would take a broad look at several key issues facing America’s classrooms. Here are some of the highlights:

• Increase teacher pay: Boost funding for Title I, the nationwide program that allocates money for school districts with high percentage of low-income students, in an effort to increase teachers’ salaries;
• Raise classroom budgets: “Fix” and “simplify” the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, which teachers use to pay off student loans;
• Provide more mental health support for students: Calls for doubling number of mental health professionals in school systems;
• Target school shootings: Ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines;
• Address “systemic racism” in schools: Provide pre-school for all three- and four-year-olds across the country and reinstate Obama administration guidance to diversify schools; and
• Reinvest in “shop classes” and other technical classes.

School policies have been a popular topic for several of Biden’s Democratic rivals, too, including California Sen. Kamala Harris, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, Texas Rep. Julian Castro and South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg.