[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 297 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
107th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 297
To put teachers first by providing grants for master teacher programs.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
February 8, 2001
Mr. Schumer introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To put teachers first by providing grants for master teacher programs.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. MASTER TEACHER PROGRAMS.
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 new part:
``PART E--MASTER TEACHER PROGRAMS
``SEC. 2401. MASTER TEACHER PROGRAMS.
``(a) Definitions.--In this part:
``(1) Board certified.--The term `board certified' means
successful completion of all requirements to be certified by
the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.
``(2) Master teacher.--The term `master teacher' means a
teacher who is certified by the National Board for Professional
Teaching Standards and has been teaching for not less than 3
years.
``(3) Novice teacher.--The term `novice teacher' means a
teacher who has been teaching for not more than 3 years at a
public elementary school or secondary school.
``(b) Program Authorized.--
``(1) Authority.--The Secretary is authorized to award
grants on a competitive basis to local educational agencies to
establish master teacher programs described in subsection (d).
``(2) Distribution.--To the maximum extent practicable, the
Secretary shall award grants under paragraph (1) so that such
grants are distributed among the local educational agencies
with the highest concentration of teachers who are not
certified or licensed or are provisionally certified or
licensed.
``(3) Amount.--The amount of a grant awarded under
paragraph (1) shall be determined based on--
``(A) the total amount appropriated for a fiscal
year under subsection (h); and
``(B) the extent of the concentration of teachers
who are not certified or licensed or are provisionally
certified or licensed in the local educational agency
involved.
``(c) Duration.--A grant under this section shall be awarded for a
period of 5 years.
``(d) Authorized Activities.--The master teacher programs described
in this subsection shall provide funding assistance to teachers who
seek to become board certified, including the provision of the board
certification fee.
``(e) Applications.--
``(1) In general.--A local educational agency desiring a
grant under this section shall submit an application to the
Secretary at such time, in such manner, and accompanied by such
information as the Secretary may reasonably require.
``(2) Approval of application.--The Secretary shall make a
determination regarding an application submitted under
paragraph (1) based on a recommendation of a peer review panel,
as established by the Secretary, and any other criteria that
the Secretary determines to be appropriate.
``(f) Payments.--
``(1) In general.--Grant payments shall be made under this
section on an annual basis.
``(2) Administrative costs.--Each local educational agency
that receives a grant under this section shall use not more
than 2 percent of the amount awarded under the grant for
administrative costs.
``(3) Denial of grant.--If the Secretary determines that a
local educational agency has failed to make substantial
progress during a fiscal year in increasing the percentage of
teachers who are board certified, or in improving student
achievement, such an agency shall not be eligible for a grant
payment under this section in the next succeeding year.
``(g) Reports.--Not later than March 31, 2005, the Secretary shall
prepare and submit to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and
Pensions of the Senate and the Committee on Education and the Workforce
of the House of Representatives a report of program activities funded
under this section.
``(h) Matching Requirement.--The Secretary may not award a grant to
a local educational agency under this section 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 or through donations from public or
private entities) non-Federal contributions in an amount equal to 25
percent of the amount of the grant awarded to the agency.
``(i) Repayment of Funds.--
``(1) In general.--In the case of any program under this
section in which assistance is provided to a teacher to pay the
National Board for Professional Teaching Standard board
certification fee to become board certified, assistance may
only be provided if the teacher makes agreements as follows:
``(A) The teacher will enter and complete the
National Board for Professional Teaching Standards
board certification program to become board certified.
``(B) After completion of such program (whether or
not successfully), the teacher will teach in the public
school system for a period of not less than 2 years.
``(2) Breach of agreements.--A teacher receiving assistance
described in paragraph (1) is liable to the local educational
agency that provides such assistance for the amount of the
certification fee described in paragraph (1) if such teacher--
``(A) voluntarily withdraws or terminates the
certification program before taking the examination for
board certification; or
``(B) is dismissed from the certification program
before taking such examination.
``(j) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this section, $50,000,000 for each of the
fiscal years 2002 through 2006.''.
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