[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 29 (Wednesday, March 15, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E313]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

[[Page E313]]



                QUALITY TEACHER RECRUITMENT ACT OF 2000

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. LINDSEY O. GRAHAM

                           of south carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, March 15, 2000

  Mr. GRAHAM. Mr. Speaker, last week Representative George Miller, 
Representative Dale Kildee and I introduced the Quality Teacher 
Recruitment Act of 2000. This bipartisan bill will help recruit high-
quality teachers for the low income school districts that need them 
most.
  The Quality Teacher Recruitment Act of 2000 will allow new teachers 
to have their federal education loans forgiven up to $17,750 after 
teaching in an eligible school for five consecutive years. This bill is 
a win for everyone: school districts will have an easier time 
recruiting high-quality teachers and new teachers will have their 
commitment to high-need schools rewarded by allowing them to 
significantly reduce their student loan debt. Most importantly, 
students will benefit from having highly qualified teachers in their 
classrooms.
  In 1998, Congress passed and the President signed into law the Higher 
Education Amendments. This bill provided up to $5,000 in student loan 
forgiveness for teachers that taught for five years in a Title I school 
with 30 percent or higher poverty. In addition, this provision required 
that eligible secondary teachers have a relevant major to the area in 
which they were teaching and that eligible elementary school teachers 
were certified in reading, writing, math and other areas of curriculum 
as determined by the local school officials.
  The $5,000 in loan forgiveness now offered is helpful, however, 
education majors graduate with an average of $17,750 in federal student 
loans. The Quality Teacher Recruitment Act of 2000 will improve on the 
existing loan forgiveness in the Higher Education Amendments by 
allowing qualifying teachers to have their loans forgiven up to this 
higher amount.
  The Quality Teacher Recruitment Act of 2000 will benefit teachers, 
students, and school districts across the country. Whether it is a low 
income school in rural America, or a high poverty urban district, 
schools who have had historically difficult times recruiting teachers 
will profit from the Quality Teacher Recruitment Act of 2000.

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