Washington, D.C. – Jeanne Allen, Founder and CEO of the Center for Education Reform released the following statement regarding the proposed Federal Tax Reform Package:
As part of tax reform, there is an urgent need to ensure the preparation of current and future workers for the changing needs of the U.S. economy. Job creation and job preparation must go hand in hand. The only area of the current House tax package that addresses education is an expansion of 529 plans to include qualified K-12 expenses and apprenticeships. That is a laudable step, but it leaves too many Americans out of the equation.
The ability to set aside dollars under a 529 plan simply is not a reality for most Americans. In extending the 529 benefit to families for K-12 expenses and apprenticeships, the House’s tax reform package does not account for the importance of providing meaningful opportunities to Americans – opportunities our education, training and workforce programs have failed to provide – and underscores this stark reality.
We urge Congress to adopt the Education, Workforce and Apprenticeship Tax Credit Act which would encourage charitable donations to nonprofit organizations for community-based apprenticeship initiatives, career and technical education, workforce development, and educational preparedness. Eligible organizations would include educational institutions, community organizations, training institutes, community colleges, non-profit scholarship granting organizations, and nonprofits affiliated with labor unions and labor-management committees.
These local programs are crucial to the national effort of preparing American workers for jobs. Education is the foundation of success, and it’s a means to that end. With the seriousness in which Washington is now moving toward an economic solution, we must ensure that Americans at all levels have the means to participate in the future.
To schedule an interview with Jeanne Allen, Founder & CEO of the Center for Education Reform, please contact Christina Mazzanti, Director of Communications: [email protected] | 202-750-0016.