Jillian Gilchrest Unveils “New Deal for Public Education,” Plan to Double Federal School Funding and Guarantee Fair Pay for Teachers
Press for Jillian Gilchrest For Congress
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE // April 2, 2026
Jillian Gilchrest Unveils “New Deal for Public Education,” Plan to Double Federal School Funding and Guarantee Fair Pay for Teachers
West Hartford, CT — On Thursday, Jillian Gilchrest, a Connecticut state representative and candidate for Congress, announced A New Deal for Public Education — a comprehensive federal education proposal that calls for more than doubling the federal share of school funding, establishing a minimum salary for teachers across the country, and guaranteeing every American child access to an unbroken education from universal childcare through tuition-free college.
The plan, developed by Gilchrest after years of working closely with educators, paraprofessionals, and families across Connecticut, represents the most ambitious federal education proposal in the race for the Democratic nomination in the state’s first congressional district, and stands out among all congressional candidates in the country this cycle.
"I'm the daughter of two public school teachers, and I grew up watching what this country asks of the people who educate our kids — and how little we give them in return,” said Gilchrest. “For too long, Congress has devalued education to support their donors, sending trillions in tax breaks to corporations and billionaires while our schools are left to figure it out on their own. I'm going to Washington to put a real federal commitment to our schools on the table — from universal childcare and pre-K to debt-free college — and I'm not going to stop making the case until we get there. That starts with finally paying teachers and paraprofessionals what they deserve."
Gilchrest, who co-chairs Connecticut’s Human Services Committee, has been at the forefront of winning funding for public education at the state level. She helped secure emergency special education funding when Connecticut towns were struggling to support students and passed the Early Childhood Education Endowment that expanded access to early care for families across the state. She is currently pushing for state funding to support Hartford Public Schools, which are already facing a financial crisis that will fall on families, educators, and city taxpayers if state and federal leaders don’t step in. Each of those efforts, she says, revealed the same truth: states and local governments alone cannot fix what Washington refuses to address.
The centerpiece of Gilchrest’s plan is raising the federal share of K-12 education costs from 13% to at least 30% — more than doubling Washington's contribution and relieving the property tax burden that falls most heavily on working families. It would establish a federal minimum salary for public school teachers, who earn on average 19% less than comparable college graduates, and a federal minimum wage floor for paraprofessionals, the school workers who support students with the greatest needs and are currently paid poverty wages. A dedicated funding stream for special education — separate from and in addition to general education funding — would end the budget competition that forces districts like Hartford to choose between meeting their legal obligations and keeping classrooms staffed.
"This is a multifaceted, cohesive plan that addresses decades-old problems with clarity and directness — including the ones that politicians rarely say out loud,” said Heather Alerte, a first-grade teacher in West Hartford. “Underinvestment in education doesn't just strain local budgets; it deepens inequality and leaves behind the same children who were already being failed. As teachers we often feel helpless, undervalued, and ignored — but not by Jillian. There is no apathetic political speak in this plan. The hurdles are named, and the solutions are courageously described. This is what it looks like when someone actually means it."
Gilchrest’s proposal also calls for the federal government to fund universal access to childcare and pre-K, student teaching placements, reduced costs for education degrees at public universities, and at least one tuition-free pathway to a four-year degree for every student who wants one.
A New Deal for Public Education is the latest in a series of detailed policy proposals from Gilchrest's campaign, which has become the most policy-forward in the CT-01 field. Gilchrest has put forward plans to get money out of politics, take corporate profit out of healthcare, lower the cost of food for American families, and make work more dignified and secure for workers. While others in the field have offered recycled poll-tested talking points, Gilchrest has offered answers — just as she has throughout her legislative career, routinely delivering for Connecticut residents on issues Congress has ignored for a generation.
"Voters are tired of being told that bold change is impossible while the same leaders keep getting elected and nothing gets better,” said Gilchrest. “The problem isn't that we can't afford to invest in public education. The problem is that for too long, Congress has decided that the wealthiest people in this country matter more than everyone else. I'm running to end that."
The full platform is available at voteforjillian.com/issues.
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About Jillian Gilchrest
Jillian Gilchrest is a state representative from West Hartford and candidate for Congress in Connecticut’s 1st District. As co-chair of the legislature’s Human Services Committee, she has championed access to healthcare, reproductive rights, and support for workers. Jillian is running to bring a new kind of politics to Washington that puts people first. A social worker by trade, she lives in West Hartford with her two children.
Learn more at VoteForJillian.com.
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