[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1225 Introduced in House (IH)]
107th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1225
To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to
establish programs to recruit, retain, and retrain teachers, and for
other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 27, 2001
Mr. Burr of North Carolina introduced the following bill; which was
referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to
establish programs to recruit, retain, and retrain teachers, and for
other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``A Million Quality Teachers Act''.
SEC. 2. RECRUITMENT, RETENTION, AND RETRAINING OF TEACHERS.
Title II of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20
U.S.C. 6601 et seq.) is amended--
(1) by redesignating part E as part F;
(2) by redesignating sections 2401 and 2402 as sections
2501 and 2502, respectively; and
(3) by inserting after part D the following:
``PART E--QUALITY TEACHER RECRUITMENT, RETENTION, AND RETRAINING
``SEC. 2401. STATE RECRUITMENT, RETENTION, AND RETRAINING GRANTS.
``(a) Purpose.--The purpose of this section is to provide
assistance to States to develop quality statewide teacher recruitment,
retention, and retraining programs.
``(b) Grants.--The Secretary may award grants, on a competitive
basis, to eligible States submitting applications under subsection (d)
to carry out the activities described in subsection (e).
``(c) Eligible State.--
``(1) Definition.--In this section, the term `eligible
State' means--
``(A) the Governor of a State; or
``(B) in the case of a State for which the
constitution or law of such State designates another
individual, entity, or agency in the State to be
responsible for teacher certification and preparation
activity, such individual, entity, or agency.
``(2) Consultation.--The Governor, or the individual,
entity, or agency designated as described in paragraph (1), as
appropriate, shall consult with the Governor, State board of
education, State educational agency, or State agency for higher
education, as appropriate, with respect to the activities
assisted under this section.
``(3) Construction.--Nothing in this subsection shall be
construed to negate or supersede the legal authority under
State law of any State agency, State entity, or State public
official over programs that are under the jurisdiction of the
agency, entity, or official.
``(d) Application.--An eligible State that seeks to receive a grant
under this section shall submit an application to the Secretary, at
such time and in such manner as the Secretary may require, that--
``(1) meets the requirements of this section;
``(2) includes a description of how the eligible State
intends to use funds provided under this section, including--
``(A) if the State intends to carry out activities
described in subsection (e)(2)--
``(i) a description of how the State
intends to increase teacher quality through the
activities; and
``(ii) a description of how the State
intends to increase, through the activities,
the number of teachers who majored in the
academic subjects in which the teachers teach,
and the number of teachers who received
certification through alternative routes; and
``(B) if the State intends to carry out activities
described in subsection (e)(3)--
``(i) a description of how the State
intends to increase teacher quality through the
activities; and
``(ii) a description of how the State
intends to decrease the rate of teacher
attrition, and to increase the number of
teachers who have the necessary teaching skills
and academic subject knowledge in the academic
subjects in which the teachers teach, through
the activities; and
``(3) contains such other information and assurances as the
Secretary may require.
``(e) Use of Funds.--
``(1) In general.--An eligible State that receives a grant
under this section shall use the grant funds--
``(A) to recruit high-quality teachers by carrying
out 1 or more of the activities described in paragraph
(2); or
``(B) to retain and retrain high-quality teachers
by carrying out 1 or more of the activities described
in paragraph (3).
``(2) Recruitment activities.--The activities referred to
in paragraph (1)(A) consist of--
``(A) providing signing bonuses for teachers;
``(B) providing stipends to teachers for
certification through alternative routes;
``(C) providing loan forgiveness to students with
academic degrees in core academic subjects who agree to
teach;
``(D) providing State income tax credits for new
teachers; and
``(E) carrying out any other program that the State
believes to be effective in recruiting individuals with
strong academic backgrounds into the teaching field.
``(3) Retention and retraining activities.--The activities
referred to in paragraph (1)(B) consist of--
``(A) carrying out teacher testing and merit pay
programs;
``(B) providing performance bonuses to teachers;
``(C) providing scholarships for teachers to pursue
advanced course work in the academic subjects in which
the teachers teach;
``(D) providing mentoring programs for teachers;
``(E) coordinating with institutions of higher
education to provide professional development
activities for teachers; and
``(F) carrying out any other program that the State
believes to be effective in retaining and retraining
quality teachers.
``(4) Supplement not supplant.--Funds appropriated pursuant
to the authority of this section shall be used to supplement
and not supplant other Federal, State, and local public funds
expended to provide services for eligible individuals.
``(f) Duration of Grants.--The Secretary may make grants under this
section for periods of 3 years.
``(g) Reporting.--
``(1) In general.--An eligible State that receives a grant
under this section shall prepare and submit to the Secretary,
at the end of the grant period, a report on how the activities
carried out with funds received under the grant increased
teacher quality in the State.
``(2) Contents.--The report shall include--
``(A) in the case of activities conducted under
subsection (e)(2), information indicating the impact of
the activities, including the number of additional
teachers with a major in the academic subject in which
the teachers teach, and the number of additional
teachers who received certification through alternative
routes, as a result of the activities;
``(B) in the case of activities conducted under
subsection (e)(3), information indicating the impact of
the activities, including the decrease in the rate of
teacher attrition, and the increase in the number of
teachers who have the necessary teaching skills and
academic subject knowledge in the academic subjects in
which the teachers teach, as a result of the
activities; and
``(C) any other information that indicates how
teacher quality has improved in the State as a result
of activities carried out with funds received under the
grant.
``(h) Authorization.--There are authorized to be appropriated to
carry out this section $1,155,000,000 for fiscal year 2002 and such
sums as may be necessary for each of the 4 succeeding fiscal years.
``(i) Definition.--In this section, the term `high-quality', used
with respect to a teacher, means--
``(A) with respect to an elementary school teacher,
a teacher--
``(i) with an academic major in the arts
and sciences; or
``(ii) who can demonstrate competence
through a high level of performance in core
academic subjects; and
``(B) with respect to a secondary school teacher, a
teacher--
``(i) with an academic major in the
academic subject in which the teacher teaches
or in a related field;
``(ii) who can demonstrate a high level of
competence through rigorous academic subject
tests; or
``(iii) who can demonstrate competence
through a high level of performance in relevant
content areas.
``SEC. 2402. LOAN FORGIVENESS FOR STUDENTS.
``(a) Purpose.--The purpose of this section is to encourage
individuals who have majored in, or obtained graduate degrees in, core
academic subjects, as opposed to education, to enter the teaching
profession by providing an incentive, through loan forgiveness, for the
individuals to enter the profession.
``(b) Program Authorized.--The Secretary shall carry out a program,
through the holder of a federally subsidized or federally guaranteed
loan made to enable an individual to attend an institution of higher
education, of--
``(1) permitting an eligible borrower to defer payments on
the loan; or
``(2) assuming the obligation to repay part or all of a
qualified loan amount for the loan for the eligible borrower.
``(c) Eligibility.--
``(1) Definition.--In this subsection, the term `core
academic subject' means--
``(A) mathematics;
``(B) science;
``(C) English;
``(D) a foreign language;
``(E) civics or government;
``(F) a subject in the arts;
``(G) geography;
``(H) history; or
``(I) economics.
``(2) Eligible borrower.--To be eligible to receive
assistance under this section, a borrower shall demonstrate--
``(A) that the borrower--
``(i) obtained an undergraduate degree with
a major in a core academic subject at an
institution of higher education; or
``(ii) obtained a graduate degree in a core
academic subject at an institution of higher
education;
``(B) that the borrower achieved at least a 3.0
grade point average in the major or the graduate
program for which the borrower obtained the degree;
``(C)(i) in the case of a borrower seeking
assistance described in subsection (d)(1)--
``(I) that the borrower is seeking or has
obtained employment as a teacher in a public
elementary school or secondary school; and
``(II) for each year after the first year
that the borrower receives the assistance, that
the borrower has maintained such employment; or
``(ii) in the case of a borrower seeking assistance
described in subsection (d)(2), that the borrower is
enrolled in an alternative certification program, as
defined in subsection (d)(2); and
``(D) that the borrower has not previously served
as a full-time teacher in a public elementary school or
secondary school, prior to receiving assistance under
this section.
``(d) Deferral and Repayment.--
``(1) Deferral and repayment for teaching in a public
school.--
``(A) Deferral.--In the case of an eligible
borrower who has provided notification to the Secretary
that the borrower is seeking or has obtained employment
as a teacher in a public school or secondary school,
the Secretary shall permit the eligible borrower to
defer all payments relating to the outstanding loan
obligation on the loan described in subsection (b)
until the earlier of--
``(i) the last day on which the borrower
maintains employment as such a teacher; or
``(ii) 8 years after the date on which the
borrower begins such employment.
``(B) Repayment.--
``(i) In general.--In the case of an
eligible borrower who has provided the
notification described in subparagraph (A), the
Secretary shall repay a portion of the
outstanding loan obligation on the loan for
each 2-year period during which the eligible
borrower teaches in a public elementary school
or secondary school.
``(ii) Repayment periods.--The Secretary
shall repay--
``(I) 35 percent of the outstanding
loan obligation, for an eligible
borrower who has taught at a public
elementary school or secondary school
for 2 years;
``(II) an additional 30 percent of
the obligation, for an eligible
borrower who has taught at such a
school for 4 years;
``(III) an additional 20 percent of
the obligation, for a teacher who has
taught in such a school for 6 years;
and
``(IV) the remaining 15 percent of
the obligation, for a teacher who has
taught in such a school for 8 years.
``(C) Failure to maintain employment.--If the
borrower seeks assistance under this paragraph for a 2-
year period and fails to maintain employment as a
teacher in a public elementary school or secondary
school for that period, the deferral period, for
purposes of subparagraph (A), shall be considered to
end on the last date of the employment, and the
borrower shall be required to repay (or resume
repaying) the remaining loan obligation on the loan.
The borrower shall not be required to repay any amount
that was paid on behalf of the borrower under this
paragraph for an earlier 2-year period, or to pay
interest on the loan for any period during which the
borrower was so employed.
``(2) Deferral for participation in an alternative
certification program.--
``(A) Definition.--In this paragraph, the term
`alternative certification program' means a program to
obtain teacher certification through an alternative
route.
``(B) Deferral.--In the case of an eligible
borrower who has provided notification to the Secretary
that the borrower has enrolled in an alternative
certification program, the Secretary shall permit the
eligible borrower to defer all payments relating to the
outstanding loan obligation of a loan described in
subsection (b) until--
``(i) if the borrower fails to complete the
program, the last day on which the borrower
maintains participation in the program; or
``(ii) if the borrower completes the
program, 6 months after the date on which the
borrower completes the program.
``(C) Failure to maintain participation.--If the
borrower seeks assistance under this paragraph and
fails to complete the alternative certification
program, the deferral period, for purposes of
subparagraph (B), shall be considered to end on the
last date of the borrower's participation in the
program. The borrower shall not be required to pay
interest on the loan for any period during which the
borrower participated in the program.
``(3) Amount.--The Secretary shall not establish a limit on
the amount of a loan that may be repaid under this section.
``(e) Application.--To be eligible to receive assistance under this
section, a borrower shall submit an application to the Secretary at
such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the
Secretary may require.
``SEC. 2403. ALTERNATIVE CERTIFICATION STIPENDS.
``(a) Purpose.--The purpose of this section is to encourage
eligible individuals to enter the teaching profession, by paying for
the costs incurred by such individuals in obtaining certification
through an alternative route for employment as elementary school or
secondary school teachers.
``(b) Payments.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary may make payments to
eligible individuals to pay for the costs incurred by the
individuals in obtaining the certification.
``(2) Amount.--The Secretary shall make a payment to an
eligible individual under paragraph (1) in an amount equal to
the lesser of--
``(A) $5,000; or
``(B) the total cost of the expenses described in
paragraphs (1), (2), (3), (8), and (9) of section 472
of the Higher Education Act of 1965 incurred by the
individual while obtaining the certification.
``(c) Eligibility.--To be eligible to receive a payment under this
section an individual shall--
``(1)(A) have obtained an undergraduate degree with a major
in a core academic subject at an institution of higher
education; or
``(B) have obtained a graduate degree in a core academic
subject at an institution of higher education;
``(2) have achieved at least a 3.0 grade point average in
the major or the graduate program for which the individual
obtained the degree; and
``(3) have not previously served as a full-time teacher in
a public elementary school or secondary school, prior to
receiving assistance under this section.
``(d) Applications.--To be eligible to receive a payment under this
section, an individual shall submit an application to the Secretary at
such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the
Secretary may require, including--
``(1) documentation of the costs described in subsection
(b)(2)(B); and
``(2) an assurance that the individual will teach in an
elementary school or secondary school for 2 years, beginning in
the first full school year after the date on which the
individual obtains the certification.
``(e) Award Basis; Priority.--
``(1) Award basis.--Subject to paragraph (2), payments made
under this section shall be made on a first-come, first-served
basis and subject to the availability of appropriations.
``(2) Priority.--In making payments under this section, the
Secretary shall give priority to individuals who have received
assistance under section 2402.
``(f) Reimbursement Under Certain Circumstances.--
``(1) In general.--If an eligible individual who receives
assistance under this section fails to obtain teacher
certification or employment as an elementary school or
secondary school teacher or voluntarily leaves, or is
terminated for cause, from the employment during the 2 years of
required service, the individual shall be required to reimburse
the State for any payment made to the individual under
subsection (b)(1) in an amount that bears the same ratio to the
amount of the payment as the unserved portion of the required
service bears to the 2 years of required service.
``(2) Transfer of funds to secretary.--A State shall
transfer any reimbursement funds received under this subsection
to the Secretary. The Secretary shall establish an account for
reimbursement funds transferred to the Secretary under this
subsection. The Secretary shall deposit the funds in the
account, and may use funds in the account to carry out this
section.
``(3) Obligation to reimburse.--The obligation to reimburse
the State under this subsection is, for all purposes, a debt
owing the United States. A discharge in bankruptcy under title
11, United States Code, shall not release an eligible
individual from the obligation to reimburse the State. Any
amount owed by an individual under paragraph (1) shall bear
interest at the rate equal to the highest rate being paid by
the United States, on the day on which the reimbursement is
determined to be due, for securities having maturities of 90
days or less and shall accrue from the day on which the
eligible individual is first notified of the amount due.
``(g) Exceptions to Reimbursement Provisions.--
``(1) In general.--An eligible individual who receives
assistance under this section shall be excused from
reimbursement under subsection (f) during any period in which
the individual--
``(A) is pursuing a full-time course of study
related to the field of teaching at an eligible
institution;
``(B) is serving on active duty as a member of the
Armed Forces;
``(C) is temporarily totally disabled for a period
of time of not more than 3 years as established by the
sworn affidavit of a qualified physician;
``(D) is unable to secure employment for a period
of not more than 12 months by reason of the care
required by a spouse who is disabled;
``(E) is seeking and unable to find full-time
employment as a teacher in an elementary school or
secondary school for a single period of not more than
27 months; or
``(F) satisfies the provisions of additional
reimbursement exceptions that may be prescribed by the
Secretary.
``(2) Forgiveness.--An eligible individual shall be excused
from reimbursement under subsection (f) if the individual
becomes permanently totally disabled, as established by the
sworn affidavit of a qualified physician. The Secretary may
also waive reimbursement in cases of extreme hardship to the
individual, as determined by the Secretary.
``(h) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this section $125,000,000 for fiscal year
2002 and such sums as may be necessary for each of the 4 succeeding
fiscal years.
``SEC. 2404. NOTIFICATION, PUBLIC AWARENESS, AND ADVERTISING
ACTIVITIES.
``(a) Notification and Public Awareness.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall notify all
institutions of higher education concerning both the loan
forgiveness program described in section 2402 and the
alternative certification stipend program described in section
2403. Each institution of higher education that accepts Federal
funds shall notify all students who receive Federal aid to
attend such institution of the opportunities afforded by the
programs.
``(2) Contracts.--The Secretary may enter into contracts
with appropriate public agencies, nonprofit private
organizations, for-profit organizations, and institutions of
higher education to conduct an information program designed--
``(A) to broaden awareness of the opportunities
afforded under the programs described in paragraph (1);
and
``(B) to encourage eligible individuals to take
advantage of the programs.
``(b) Advertising Activities.--The Secretary may disseminate
information about the loan forgiveness program described in section
2402 and the alternative certification stipend program described in
section 2403 through television advertisements, the publication of
brochures, advertisements in college newspapers or other newspapers, or
any other means that the Secretary determines to be effective to
broaden awareness of the program.
``(c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this section, $20,000,000 for fiscal year
2002 and such sums as may be necessary for each of the 2 succeeding
fiscal years.''.
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