7/1/2003 -- The House Education and Workforce Committee approved two bills June 10 aimed at improving teacher quality.
The Ready to Teach Act (H.R.2211) would reauthorize Title II of the Higher Education Act. The Teacher Recruitment and Retention Act (H.R.438) would increase loan forgiveness for certain teachers in Title I schools. NSBA supports both bills.
H.R.438 would increase the amount of student loans that can be forgiven from $5,000 to $17,500 for teachers who agree to teach mathematics, science, and special education in Title I schools for at least five years. Teachers of other subjects in Title I schools would continue to be eligible for $5,000 in loan forgiveness.
The committee adopted an amendment supported by NSBA that would allow teachers to receive the financial benefit after the second year of teaching, rather than waiting until the fifth year of service. Joan Wodiska, director of federal legislation at NSBA, says this provision could help school districts recruit and retain highly qualified teachers at Title I schools.
During consideration of H.R.438, Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.) acknowledged NSBA's support for the bill and requested that NSBA's letter be included for the record.
The Ready to Teach Act would help align teacher training programs with the requirements of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, hold institutions of higher education accountable for teacher preparation, and focus teacher preparation on academic subject knowledge and state standards.
According to NSBA, the bill could significantly improve teacher training and preparation programs and help districts comply with the NCLB mandate that all teachers must be highly qualified.
H.R.2211 authorizes $10 million for fiscal year 2004. Forty-five percent of the funds would be used for grants to states. These funds could be used for state certification reforms, alternative teacher preparation programs, merit-based performance systems for teachers and principals that provide bonus pay for teachers in high-poverty and rural schools, and efforts to ensure that teachers can use advanced technology.
Another 45 percent would be used for grants to partnerships consisting of a high-quality teacher preparation program, a school of arts and sciences, a high-need school district, and a public or private educational organization. These funds can be used for professional development, alignment with NCLB, alternative preparation and certification systems, and teacher recruitment.
Ten percent of the funds would go for teacher recruitment grants to states and partnerships. Priority would be given to applicants that focus on recruiting minorities. Funds could be used for scholarships for participants in teacher preparation programs and activities to help high-need school districts recruit highly qualified teachers.
The education reform subcommittee adopted language supported by NSBA to ensure that high-need districts directly benefit from 50 percent of partnership grants; improve teacher training programs by focusing coursework on academic content, state standards, and proven research; and expand the definition of high-need districts.
The committee defines high-need districts as those with large numbers of teachers not teaching in the academic subject or grade levels for which they trained or a high percentage of teachers with emergency or temporary certification.
The committee accepted language supported by NSBA to add districts with fewer than 600 students. NSBA now would like to see the definition expanded further to include districts identified as "in need of improvement."