WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressman Eugene Vindman (D-Va.-07) and Congresswoman Jen Kiggans (R-Va.-02) introduced the Teachers Utilizing Tutoring Opportunities for Relief (TUTOR) Act to provide financial relief to teachers who take on the responsibility to tutor their students outside the classroom.
“As a dad of two kids who attended Virginia public schools, I know firsthand the difference a great teacher can make. I’m proud to join my Virginia colleague, Congresswoman Jen Kiggans, in introducing this bipartisan bill to provide meaningful financial relief to educators who go above and beyond through tutoring,” said Vindman. “Teachers are the cornerstone of our Commonwealth, and I’ll always stand with them.”
“This bill was inspired by my little sister who has been teaching math in a classroom for 25 years. She is a single mother to three children and has to tutor at night and on the weekends in order to provide for her family and pay the bills. The stories I have heard from her about what is expected from teachers in the classroom these days are unbelievable,” said Kiggans. “We all want a great education for our children, yet we undervalue the amount of work it requires from our teachers to provide quality classroom learning. Teaching is a labor of love. We need to ensure we are compensating our teachers appropriately but also giving them opportunities to supplement their income and keep those hard-earned dollars.”
BACKGROUND
This bill delivers financial support in the form of a tax credit that climbs as high as $1,000 depending on the number of hours a teacher spends tutoring a student. Educators serve an essential role in the development of our children across the nation, and in Virginia’s Second District. Teachers that go above and beyond to incorporate a more personal, focused approach to learning should be recognized for their sacrifice and acknowledged for their time.
Because so many teachers receive a salary that fails to meet their financial needs, nearly 20% of our country’s educators seek out a second job during the school year. Personal tutoring, in its most proficient manner, is conducted by a teacher or professional tutor that’s been trained to instruct students on concepts they need to excel at their particular grade level. When conducted properly, studies have shown that students in the 50th percentile often improve to the 66th percentile upon receiving tutoring services.
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