I’m thinking about our teachers

The pandemic has been hard on all of us. It's been especially challenging for teachers, who are working valiantly to educate and support their students through new technology and a new reality.

We know that the pandemic has exacerbated inequities that already existed in classrooms. Too often, students and families don't have what they need — like laptops or internet connections—to succeed in distance learning. Teachers have worked tirelessly to make sure these students don't fall through the cracks.

Great teachers can change lives. Open new horizons. Unlock worlds of possibility. And now they are doing so through unimaginable circumstances.

I went to public schools, and so did my kids. They got a great education in the Beaverton School District, and I want our public schools in Oregon and across the country to be able to give every child the opportunity to learn and succeed.

That's why I've worked so hard in Congress to give our schools what they need to serve our students through this pandemic — and get them back in school as much as possible.

The American Rescue Plan is providing millions of dollars to improve ventilation systems, secure PPE, address educational inequities in the pandemic, provide technology, and more.

I'm hopeful, and I know you are, that when school starts in the fall, every student will be back in class in a safe school building. We're doing everything we can to make that happen.

Here's to all the teachers who've persevered and persisted through this pandemic.