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Statement from Deborah Delisle, President and CEO of the Alliance for Excellent Education, on the American Families Plan

For Release: April 29, 2021

Contact: Dorie Turner Nolt, 404.861.1127, dturnernolt@all4ed.org

“The American Families Plan is a bold, sweeping investment in this country’s present and future. By expanding free public education by four years — two years of preschool and two years of college — the Biden administration is creating a clear path for all students to get the preparation needed to achieve their dreams. Today, 80% of good-paying jobs require higher education, yet we also see excessive remediation rates that show many high school students are not being prepared for what comes after graduation, leading to dismal college completion rates. As the process unfolds, it is also important to incorporate investments in evidence-based programs, such as dual enrollment and early college, which lead to college retention and completion for students. We also are thrilled to see the plan’s investment in the backbone of our education system—our teachers—by including programs to diversify the teaching workforce so that students of color who make up the majority of our classrooms can see themselves in the people educating them every day. Our students deserve the best we have to offer every day and the American Families Plan sets the tone and direction to accomplish this.”

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Deborah S. Delisle is the president and CEO of the Alliance for Excellent Education and served as assistant secretary of elementary and secondary education from 2012 to 2015. 

The Alliance for Excellent Education (All4Ed) is a Washington, DC–based national policy, practice, and advocacy organization dedicated to ensuring that all students, particularly those underperforming and those historically underserved, graduate from high school ready for success in college, work, and citizenship. all4ed.org