[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 120 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
107th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 120
To establish a demonstration project to increase teacher salaries and
employee benefits for teachers who enter into contracts with local
educational agencies to serve as master teachers.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
January 22, 2001
Mrs. Feinstein introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish a demonstration project to increase teacher salaries and
employee benefits for teachers who enter into contracts with local
educational agencies to serve as master teachers.
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 ``Master Teacher Act of 2001''.
SEC. 2. MASTER TEACHER DEMONSTRATION PROJECT.
(a) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Local educational agency.--The term ``local educational
agency'' has the meaning given the term in section 14101 of the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
8801).
(2) Master teacher.--The term ``master teacher'' means a
teacher who--
(A) is licensed or credentialed under State law;
(B) has been teaching for at least 5 years in a
public or private school or institution of higher
education;
(C) is selected upon application, is judged to be
an excellent teacher, and is recommended by
administrators and other teachers who are knowledgeable
of the individual's performance;
(D) at the time of submission of such application,
is teaching and based in a public school;
(E) assists other teachers in improving
instructional strategies, improves the skills of other
teachers, performs mentoring, develops curriculum, and
offers other professional development; and
(F) enters into a contract with the local
educational agency to continue to teach and serve as a
master teacher for at least 5 additional years.
(3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Education.
(b) Establishment of Demonstration Project.--
(1) In general.--Not later than July 1, 2002, the Secretary
shall conduct a demonstration project under which the Secretary
shall award competitive grants to local educational agencies to
increase teacher salaries and employee benefits for teachers
who enter into contracts with the local educational agencies to
serve as master teachers.
(2) Requirements.--In awarding grants under the
demonstration project, the Secretary shall--
(A) ensure that grants are awarded under the
demonstration project to a diversity of local
educational agencies in terms of size of school
district, location of school district, ethnic and
economic composition of students, and experience of
teachers; and
(B) give priority to local educational agencies in
school districts that have schools with a high
proportion of economically disadvantaged students.
(c) Applications.--In order to receive a grant under the
demonstration project, a local educational agency shall submit an
application to the Secretary that contains--
(1) an assurance that funds received under the grant will
be used in accordance with this section; and
(2) a detailed description of how the local educational
agency will use the grant funds to pay the salaries and
employee benefits for positions designated by the local
educational agency as master teacher positions.
(d) Matching Requirement.--The Secretary may not award a grant to a
local educational agency under the demonstration project unless the
local educational agency agrees that, with respect to costs to be
incurred by the agency in carrying out activities for which the grant
was awarded, the agency shall provide (directly, through the State, or
through a combination thereof) in non-Federal contributions an amount
equal to the amount of the grant awarded to the agency.
(e) Study and Report.--
(1) In general.--Not later than July 1, 2005, the Secretary
shall conduct a study and transmit a report to Congress
analyzing the results of the demonstration project conducted
under this section.
(2) Contents of report.--The report shall include--
(A) an analysis of the results of the project on--
(i) the recruitment and retention of
experienced teachers;
(ii) the effect of master teachers on
teaching by less experienced teachers;
(iii) the impact of mentoring new teachers
by master teachers; and
(iv) the impact of master teachers on
student achievement; and
(B) recommendations regarding--
(i) continuing or terminating the
demonstration project; and
(ii) establishing a grant program to expand
the project to additional local educational
agencies and school districts.
(f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this section, $100,000,000, for the period of
fiscal years 2002 through 2006.
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