WASHINGTON – Sen. Susan Collins on Tuesday introduced legislation to help teachers when they pursue professional development or pay for classroom supplies with their own money.

The Teacher Support Act of 2001 has two major provisions. First, it would allow teachers and teacher aides to take an above-the-line deduction for their professional development expenses. Thus, educators who don’t itemize their deductions still will be able to benefit.

“When I meet with teachers from Maine, they repeatedly tell me of their need for more professional development and the scarcity of financial support for this worthy pursuit,” said Collins. “As President Bush has put it, ‘Teachers sometimes lead with their hearts and pay with their wallets.'”

In Maine, the average yearly salary of a public school teacher with less than two years of experience is $23,300. Under current law, teachers earning this salary could not deduct the first $466 in professional development they paid for out of pocket. Professional development expenses of more than $466 could be deducted only if the teachers itemized their deductions, something done now by only about one-third of all teachers.

The Collins bill would enable all educators, regardless of whether or not they itemize deductions, to receive tax relief for all qualified professional development expenses.

Second, the bill would grant educators a tax credit of up to $100 for books, supplies and equipment they purchase for students. According to a study by the National Education Association, the average public school teacher spends more than $400 annually on classroom materials.

“I’m very pleased that President Bush has made the classroom supplies portion of my bill part of his education platform, and that my legislation has received the support of the National Education Association,” Collins said. The Teacher Support Act of 2001 is similar to a bill Collins introduced last year that passed the Senate but was not taken up by the House.