Here’s How a Harris Win Could Impact Teachers and Education Funding

In a recent show of support, the National Education Association (NEA) endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for the upcoming presidential election, expressing gratitude for the Biden administration’s commitment to teachers. Harris has historically advocated for increased education funding, particularly for early childhood education, so if she takes office when the time comes, what kind of impact could she have?

Check it out: I’m an economist — here’s my Social Security prediction if Kamala Harris wins the election

Read next: 9 Things You Must Do to Increase Your Wealth in 2024

GOBankingRates spoke with Ayeh Bandeh-Ahmadi, an economist, former U.S. debt manager, and founder of Volascope Labs, about her predictions for the impact of the Harris-Walz administration on teachers and education funding, especially given the difficult financial and political climate.

Read more: Trump Wants to Eliminate Income Taxes — Here’s What That Means for the Economy and Your Wallet

Tax breaks and salary increases for teachers

One key way Harris could support teachers is by expanding the Educator Expense Deduction, which currently allows teachers to deduct up to $300 for classroom expenses. Given the rising costs, especially in today’s economic environment, teachers often spend money out of pocket to make up the $300 and provide necessary supplies for their students.

In addition to direct tax deductions, Harris could also push for teacher retention bonuses to address high turnover, especially in underserved areas. “The economic research that I and others have done suggests that retention bonuses can be most effective when they are tied to how long teachers stay in the profession,” Bandeh-Ahmadi said.

Additionally, Harris has been an outspoken advocate for teacher pay increases, particularly in underfunded schools. During her 2020 presidential campaign, according to EducationWeek, she proposed a $13,500 annual pay raise for teachers in struggling districts to make the profession more attractive to younger talent. The proposed raise would be funded by reversing part of Trump’s tax cuts, showing how pay reforms could be tied to broader tax policy changes.

Breaking the digital divide

Harris has a track record of championing digital and STEM education, having “co-sponsored the 21st Century STEM for Girls and Underrepresented Minorities Act, which aimed to increase STEM education for women and minorities, and the Digital Equity Act of 2019, which aimed to provide broadband internet access to underserved communities,” said Bandeh-Ahmadi, who believes a Harris-Walz administration would bring technology and education closer together.

He predicts Harris will champion initiatives similar to those in Estonia and Finland “to make basic coding a more established cornerstone of K-12 curricula.” He believes a Harris administration would also likely prioritize workforce development, apprenticeships, and entrepreneurship programs, particularly in tech industries, ensuring that students — especially those from underrepresented groups — are prepared for the growing job market.

Investments in school infrastructure

Under Harris, significant attention is likely to be given to school modernization, especially in underserved and rural areas. Harris has previously advocated for modernizing school facilities to ensure every student has access to high-quality learning environments.

As part of that vision, Bandeh-Ahmadi envisions Harris creating a School Modernization Fund that will focus on improving infrastructure — including installing high-speed broadband internet in rural and low-income schools “to ensure schools have the technology students need to succeed in the modern workforce.”

The proposal could find bipartisan support, since many rural areas, often represented by Republicans, face similar problems of underfunded and outdated school infrastructure. “Effectively communicating this story and perhaps packaging it as part of a larger infrastructure bill or as a narrow initiative focused on rural and low-income districts could increase the likelihood of its success in a divided Congress,” Bandeh-Ahmadi said.

Green School Initiatives

“As a longtime supporter of climate change programs, especially where they also address systemic inequities, Harris could advocate for improving the energy efficiency of school buildings,” Bandeh-Ahmadi said, “reducing operating costs and introducing renewable energy into schools, which could create learning opportunities for students in STEM fields.”

By linking these projects to broader climate change goals, Harris would give students hands-on experience in emerging fields like renewable energy and energy-saving technologies. But such an initiative could face greater resistance in Congress and would be less likely to advance under the Republican Trump-Vance administration, with its emphasis on limited government and fiscal conservatism.

Nevertheless, Harris’ commitment to combating climate change through education reform could pave the way for innovative learning environments that prepare students for the future.

State Treasury support for municipal bonds

Bandeh-Ahmadi suggests that a Treasury-backed municipal bond program could be feasible in the current economic climate. “The Treasury Department has supported municipal bonds during COVID and after the 2008 financial crisis, when it subsidized Build America municipal bonds with bipartisan support,” she said.

With interest rates at 23-year highs, it’s not particularly easy or cheap for local governments to borrow money to fund needed school and education-related infrastructure upgrades. A municipal bond program would help, despite high interest rates. Bandeh-Ahmadi added that Harris could garner bipartisan support by framing it as part of a broader infrastructure and competitiveness initiative to help local economies.

The economist’s final thought

“I hope the next four years will be a time when we modernize economics education as technology improves,” Bandeh-Ahmadi said, “because better coping with economic change would help us have smarter debates and policies, regardless of the administration, and would equip teachers and students with the knowledge they need to navigate a changing world in education and beyond.”

Editor’s note on election coverage: GOBankingRates is nonpartisan and strives to objectively cover all aspects of the economy and provide balanced reporting on politically-biased financial stories. For more information, visit GOBankingRates.com.

More from GOBankingRates

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: I’m an Economist: Here’s How a Harris Win Could Impact Teachers and Education Funding