[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 476 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







107th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 476

To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to provide 
 for a National Teacher Corps and principal recruitment, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 7, 2001

  Mrs. Clinton (for herself, Mr. Kennedy, Mrs. Murray, Mr. Leahy, Ms. 
   Mikulski, Mr. Reed, Mr. Schumer, and Mr. Corzine) introduced the 
 following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
                 Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to provide 
 for a National Teacher Corps and principal recruitment, 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 ``National Teacher and Principal 
Recruitment Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) A severe teacher shortage is expected in the United 
        States in the next 10 years due to a surge in pupil enrollment 
        combined with an increase in the average age of the teaching 
        population that is resulting in teachers retiring at a greater 
        rate than teachers are being certified or licensed. Over the 
        next decade, school districts across the United States will 
        need to hire approximately 2,200,000 new teachers. In New York 
        City alone, the school district will need to hire up to 35,000 
        teachers in the next 3 years.
            (2) A severe principal shortage is expected in the United 
        States as more than 40 percent of public school principals are 
        expected to retire in the next 10 years. In public schools in 
        New York City, the problem is even more severe with 65 percent 
        of all principals currently eligible to retire, and 50 percent 
        of all principals expected to retire in the next 5 years.
            (3) Teacher salaries in the highest need school districts 
        are frequently substantially lower than in school districts in 
        more affluent surrounding areas. The median salary of teachers 
        in New York City's school district, for example, is 
        approximately $20,000 less than in school districts in the 
        surrounding areas. Lower salaries, combined with less 
        attractive working conditions, such as larger class sizes and 
        crumbling school buildings, make it difficult to attract and 
        retain quality teachers.
            (4) Over 80 percent of urban school districts rely on 
        emergency certification or licensing or use of long-term 
        substitutes to deal with their severe teacher shortage, often 
        consigning the most educationally disadvantaged students to 
        being taught by teachers with little or no qualification and 
        experience. Annually, more than 50,000 people who lack the 
        training required for their jobs have entered teaching with 
        emergency or provisional certification or licensing.
            (5) The National Commission on Teaching and America's 
        Future and the Glenn Commission on Improving Mathematics and 
        Science Teaching for the 21st Century recognize scholarships 
        for college and graduate work in education as a powerful 
        incentive to attract quality teachers, particularly in high-
        need school districts and academic subjects.
            (6) Providing bonuses, as part of attracting high quality 
        candidates for alternative routes to teacher certification, has 
        proven effective in bringing teachers into high-need school 
        districts experiencing teacher shortages. Evaluations of 
        programs that provide bonuses or other incentives to attract 
        teachers demonstrate, however, that the programs must also 
        provide support for new teachers, including mentoring and 
        ongoing professional development, in order to retain new 
        teachers in the highest need school districts.
            (7) Thousands of paraprofessionals serve as teacher's aides 
        in the highest need school districts. Recent surveys have 
        indicated that 50 to 75 percent of paraprofessionals are 
        interested in pursuing teaching certification or licensing, but 
        lack the support or resources to become certified or licensed.
            (8) Providing mentoring and sustained professional 
        development in high-need schools for teachers and principals in 
        their first 3 years of service increases teacher and principal 
        quality, increases professional job satisfaction, and lowers 
        turnover rates in the schools most in need of experienced 
        teachers and principals.
            (9) The National Teacher Recruitment Clearinghouse, 
        established last year, has provided information to hundreds of 
        thousands of individuals interested in becoming teachers, but 
        more needs to be done to reach out and inform prospective 
        teachers about resources for and routes to teaching.
            (10) Conducting outreach to prospective teachers is an 
        important means of expanding the candidate pool for teaching. 
        Recruiting teachers for high-need schools is critical for the 
        Nation's future. The Armed Services spend tens of millions of 
        dollars each year on recruitment advertising, with great 
        success in recruiting young men and women to serve. Such 
        recruitment advertising can expand awareness and use of 
        resources available through programs established under this Act 
        to help build a more qualified and diverse pool of prospective 
        teachers.
            (11) Often, a teacher who is certified or licensed in 1 
        State and moves to a new State finds that the new State does 
        not accept teacher certification or licensing from other 
        States. Also, such a teacher may find that the teacher's 
        pension is not portable and, therefore, may lack an incentive 
        to become a teacher in the new State.
            (12) There is a widespread shortage of qualified candidates 
        applying to be elementary and secondary school principals, 
        particularly in urban and rural areas. Principals are critical 
        in providing instructional leadership in schools in order to 
        improve teaching and learning. Without qualified principals, 
        student learning suffers.

SEC. 3. PURPOSE.

    The purposes of this Act are--
            (1) to create a National Teacher Corps that provides 
        scholarships and bonuses as incentives to recruit up to 75,000 
        highly qualified candidates a year to enter the field of 
        teaching in order to reduce teacher shortages, particularly in 
        high-need school districts and academic subjects;
            (2) to support the teacher corps members in order to 
        improve teacher retention rates, including providing support 
        through mentoring and extensive professional development;
            (3) to create a public service campaign to inform 
        interested individuals about resources for and routes to 
        entering the field of teaching;
            (4) to study ways to improve the portability of teaching 
        credentials and pensions across school district and State 
        lines; and
            (5) to establish a Principal Corps to recruit highly 
        qualified individuals to become principals in order to ensure 
        quality instructional leadership in high-need schools.

SEC. 4. NATIONAL TEACHER CORPS.

    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 G;
            (2) by redesignating sections 2401 and 2402 as sections 
        2601 and 2602, respectively; and
            (3) by inserting after part D the following:

                 ``PART E--NATIONAL TEACHER RECRUITMENT

``SEC. 2401. DEFINITIONS.

    ``In this part:
            ``(1) High-need school.--The term `high-need school' means 
        a school in which--
                    ``(A) more than 50 percent of the students are--
                            ``(i) students in poverty; or
                            ``(ii) students who are receiving free or 
                        reduced price lunches under the school lunch 
                        program established under the Richard B. 
                        Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 
                        1751 et seq.); or
                    ``(B) there is a significant percentage of--
                            ``(i) teachers who are not certified or 
                        licensed; or
                            ``(ii) teacher vacancies in critical 
                        academic subjects such as mathematics, science, 
                        bilingual education, or special education.
            ``(2) High-need school district.--The term `high-need 
        school district' means a school district in which more than 15 
        percent of the students served by the local educational agency 
        for the school district are students in poverty.
            ``(3) Poverty line.--The term `poverty line' means the 
        income official poverty line (as defined by the Office of 
        Management and Budget, and revised annually in accordance with 
        section 673(2) of the Community Services Block Grant Act 
        applicable to a family of the size involved.
            ``(4) Student in poverty.--The term `student in poverty' 
        means a student from a family with a family income below the 
        poverty line.

``SEC. 2403. OFFICE OF NATIONAL TEACHER AND PRINCIPAL RECRUITMENT.

    ``(a) Establishment.--There is established in the Office of 
Elementary and Secondary Education an Office of National Teacher and 
Principal Recruitment. The Office shall be headed by a Director of 
National Teacher and Principal Recruitment (referred to in this part as 
the `Director'). The Director shall be appointed by the Assistant 
Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education.
    ``(b) Duties.--
            ``(1) Establishment of program.--The Secretary, acting 
        through the Director, shall establish and carry out a National 
        Teacher Corps program, to carry out recruitment and retention 
        activities to relieve teacher shortages throughout the United 
        States, particularly in high-need school districts and academic 
        subjects.
            ``(2) National activities.--In carrying out the program, 
        the Secretary shall--
                    ``(A) coordinate all Federal teacher recruitment 
                efforts, such as the efforts authorized under title II 
                of the Higher Education Act of 1965;
                    ``(B) develop and carry out a public national 
                teacher recruitment campaign;
                    ``(C) provide to State educational agencies and 
                local educational agencies information about the 
                effectiveness of current (as the date of the provision) 
                national teacher recruitment efforts; and
                    ``(D) provide to State educational agencies and 
                local educational agencies research-based information 
                about proven strategies for teacher recruitment and 
                retention.

``SEC. 2404. GRANTS FOR LOCAL TEACHER RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION 
              ACTIVITIES.

    ``(a) In General.--In carrying out the National Teacher Corps 
program, the Secretary, acting through the Director, shall make grants 
to eligible partnerships to enable the partnerships to carry out 
recruitment and retention activities to relieve teacher shortages in 
school districts served by the partnerships.
    ``(b) Eligible Partnerships.--To be eligible to receive a grant 
under this section, a partnership shall consist of--
            ``(1) a local educational agency serving a high-need school 
        district; and
            ``(2) an institution of higher education.
    ``(c) Use of Funds.--
            ``(1) In general.--A partnership that receives a grant 
        under this section shall use the funds received through the 
        grant to--
                    ``(A) establish, as an alternative route to teacher 
                certification, a comprehensive program that will 
                require teaching candidates to pass State teacher 
                examinations in the appropriate academic subjects 
                before entering the classroom, provide pedagogical 
                course work, monitor candidates' performance in the 
                classroom, and provide additional services, including 
                mentoring and ongoing professional development, to 
                develop effective teaching skills and strategies among 
                candidates; and
                    ``(B) provide 1 or more of the incentives described 
                in paragraph subparagraphs (A), (B), (C), and (D) of 
                paragraph (2) to encourage qualified candidates to 
                enter teaching.
            ``(2) Incentives.--
                    ``(A) National teacher corps scholarship program.--
                            ``(i) In general.--The partnership may 
                        establish a scholarship program to provide 
                        scholarships to individuals who have proven 
                        need for the scholarships and have strong 
                        academic records.
                            ``(ii) Amount.--The partnership may provide 
                        scholarships with single awards of not less 
                        than $5,000 and not more than $10,000.
                            ``(iii) Use of funds.--An individual that 
                        receives such a scholarship may use the funds 
                        made available through the scholarship--
                                    ``(I) to pay for all or part of the 
                                individual's cost of attendance, 
                                determined in accordance with section 
                                472 of the Higher Education Act of 
                                1965, at an institution of higher 
                                education for the final 2 years of 
                                study in an undergraduate program, or 
                                for a master's degree program, in the 
                                field of education; or
                                    ``(II) toward the repayment of a 
                                Federal, federally subsidized, or 
                                federally guaranteed loan made to 
                                enable the individual to attend an 
                                institution of higher education.
                            ``(iv) Agreement.--To be eligible to 
                        receive a scholarship under this subparagraph, 
                        an individual shall enter into an agreement 
                        with the partnership that states that the 
                        individual will--
                                    ``(I) teach in a public elementary 
                                or secondary school that is a high-need 
                                school for not less than 3 years; or
                                    ``(II) repay the scholarship, 
                                unless the partnership determines that 
                                repayment would pose a particular 
                                hardship for the individual.
                            ``(v) Placement.--In recruiting individuals 
                        for high-need schools under this subparagraph, 
                        the partnership shall give priority to schools 
                        identified for improvement under section 
                        1116(c).
                    ``(B) National teacher corps mid-career 
                professional recruitment program.--
                            ``(i) In general.--The partnership may 
                        establish a program to recruit mid-career 
                        professionals to serve as teachers by providing 
                        to the professionals--
                                    ``(I) bonuses of not less than 
                                $2,000 and not more than $5,000; and
                                    ``(II) sufficient training and 
                                development to enable the professionals 
                                to become certified or licensed 
                                teachers.
                            ``(ii) Agreement.--To be eligible to 
                        receive a bonus, and training and development, 
                        under this subparagraph, an individual shall 
                        enter into an agreement with the partnership 
                        that states that the individual will--
                                    ``(I) teach in a public elementary 
                                or secondary school that is a high-need 
                                school for not less than 3 years; or
                                    ``(II) repay the bonus and the cost 
                                of the training and development, unless 
                                the partnership determines that 
                                repayment would pose a particular 
                                hardship for the individual.
                    ``(C) National teacher corps paraprofessional-to-
                teacher program.--
                            ``(i) In general.--The partnership may 
                        establish an accelerated paraprofessional-to-
                        teacher program that provides to an eligible 
                        paraprofessional--
                                    ``(I) sufficient training and 
                                development to enable the 
                                paraprofessional to complete a 
                                bachelor's degree and pass a teacher 
                                certification or licensing examination; 
                                and
                                    ``(II) full pay and leave from 
                                paraprofessional duties for the period 
                                necessary to complete the degree and 
                                pass the examination.
                            ``(ii) Eligible paraprofessionals.--To be 
                        eligible to receive assistance under this 
                        subparagraph, a paraprofessional shall 
                        demonstrate that the paraprofessional is 
                        capable of completing a bachelor's degree in 
                        not more than 2 years.
                            ``(iii) Agreement.--To be eligible to 
                        receive leave with pay, and training and 
                        development, under this subparagraph, an 
                        individual shall enter into an agreement with 
                        the partnership that states that the individual 
                        will--
                                    ``(I) teach in a public elementary 
                                or secondary school that is a high-need 
                                school for not less than 3 years; or
                                    ``(II) repay the cost of the paid 
                                leave, training, and development, 
                                unless the partnership determines that 
                                repayment would pose a particular 
                                hardship for the individual.
                    ``(D) National teacher corps volunteer training and 
                support program.--The partnership may provide training 
                and support to volunteers who--
                            ``(i) have recently received teacher 
                        certification or licensing;
                            ``(ii) need support to teach in high-need 
                        school districts; or
                            ``(iii) are qualified candidates, are 
                        taking an alternative route to certification, 
                        and want to volunteer for the National Teacher 
                        Corps rather than receiving assistance under 
                        subparagraph (A), (B), or (C).
    ``(d) Applications.--To be eligible to receive a grant under this 
section, a partnership shall submit an application to the Secretary at 
such time, in such manner, and containing--
            ``(1) a needs assessment concerning teacher shortages in 
        the school district served by the local educational agency in 
        the partnership;
            ``(2) a proposed plan for the recruitment and retention of 
        teachers; and
            ``(3) such other information as the Secretary may require.
    ``(e) Priority.--In awarding grants under this section, the 
Secretary shall give priority to partnerships including local 
educational agencies that serve schools that have been identified for 
improvement under section 1116(c).
    ``(f) Supplement not Supplant.--Funds appropriated to carry out 
this section shall be used to supplement and not supplant other 
Federal, State, and local public funds expended to provide teacher 
recruitment and retention activities.

``SEC. 2405. GRANT FOR NATIONAL PUBLIC SERVICE CAMPAIGN.

    ``(a) In General.--In carrying out the National Teacher Corps 
program, the Secretary, acting through the Director, shall award a 
grant, on a competitive basis, to 1 national coalition of teacher and 
media organizations, including the National Teacher Recruitment 
Clearinghouse, to enable the organizations to jointly conduct a 
national public service campaign.
    ``(b) Use of Funds.--A coalition that receives a grant under 
subsection (a) shall use the funds made available through the grant to 
conduct a national public service campaign about resources for and 
routes to entering the field of teaching. In conducting the campaign, 
the coalition shall focus on providing information both to a national 
audience and in specific media markets, and shall specifically expand 
on, promote, and link the coalition's outreach efforts to, the 
information referral activities and resources of the National Teacher 
Recruitment Clearinghouse.
    ``(c) Application.--To be eligible to receive a grant under this 
section, a coalition shall submit an application to the Secretary at 
such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the 
Secretary may require.

``SEC. 2406. STUDIES.

    ``(a) Portability of Teaching Credentials.--
            ``(1) Study.--In carrying out the National Teacher Corps 
        program, the Secretary, acting through the Director, shall 
        conduct a study of the feasibility of requiring or promoting 
        the portability of teaching credentials between States.
            ``(2) Report.--The Secretary shall submit to Congress a 
        report containing the results of the study, including specific 
        legislative and policy recommendations.
    ``(b) Portability of Pensions.--
            ``(1) Study.--In carrying out the program, the Secretary, 
        acting through the Director, shall conduct a study of the 
        feasibility of promoting the portability of teacher pensions--
                    ``(A) between school districts in the same State; 
                and
                    ``(B) between school districts in different States.
            ``(2) Report.--The Secretary shall submit to Congress a 
        report containing the results of the study, including specific 
        legislative and policy recommendations.

``SEC. 2407. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    ``(a) In General.--There is authorized to be appropriated to carry 
out this part (other than sections 2405 and 2406) $500,000,000 for 
fiscal year 2002 and each subsequent fiscal year.
    ``(b) National Public Service Campaign.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out section 2405 $1,000,000 for fiscal year 2002 
and each subsequent fiscal year.
    ``(c) Portability Studies.--There is authorized to be appropriated 
for fiscal year 2002 and each subsequent fiscal year--
            ``(1) $100,000 to carry out section 2406(a); and
            ``(2) $100,000 to carry out section 2406(b).''.

SEC. 5. PRINCIPAL CORPS.

    Title II of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 
U.S.C. 6601 et seq.), as amended in section 4, is further amended by 
inserting after part E the following:

                    ``PART F--PRINCIPAL RECRUITMENT

``SEC. 2501. ESTABLISHMENT.

    ``The Secretary, acting through the Director of National Teacher 
and Principal Recruitment, shall establish and carry out a national 
principal recruitment program.

``SEC. 2502. GRANTS.

    ``(a) In General.--In carrying out the program, the Secretary shall 
make grants, on a competitive basis, to local educational agencies that 
seek to recruit and train principals (including assistant principals).
    ``(b) Use of Funds.--An agency that receives a grant under 
subsection (a) may use the funds made available through the grant to 
carry out principal recruitment and training activities that may 
include--
            ``(1) providing stipends for master principals who mentor 
        new principals;
            ``(2) using funds innovatively to recruit new principals, 
        including recruiting the principals by providing pay incentives 
        or bonuses;
            ``(3) developing career mentor ship and professional 
        development ladders for teachers who want to become principals; 
        and
            ``(4) developing incentives, and professional development 
        and instructional leadership training programs, to attract 
        individuals from other fields, including business and law, to 
        serve as principals.
    ``(c) Application and Plan.--To be eligible to receive a grant 
under this section, a local educational agency shall submit an 
application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and 
containing such information as the Secretary may require. The 
application shall include--
            ``(1) a needs assessment concerning the shortage of 
        qualified principals in the school district involved and an 
        assessment of the potential for recruiting and retaining 
        prospective and aspiring leaders, including teachers who are 
        interested in becoming principals; and
            ``(2) a comprehensive plan for recruitment and training of 
        principals, including plans for mentorship programs, ongoing 
        professional development, and instructional leadership 
        training, for high-need schools served by the agency.
    ``(d) Priority.--In making grants under this section, the Secretary 
shall give priority to local educational agencies that demonstrate that 
the agencies will carry out the activities described in subsection (b) 
in partnership with nonprofit organizations and institutions of higher 
education.
    ``(f) Supplement not Supplant.--Funds appropriated to carry out 
this section shall be used to supplement and not supplant other 
Federal, State, and local public funds expended to provide principal 
recruitment and retention activities.

``SEC. 2503. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    ``There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 
$50,000,000 for fiscal year 2002 and each subsequent fiscal year.''.
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