[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 45 (Friday, April 2, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E529]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page E529]]
             INTRODUCTION OF THE MASTER TEACHER ACT OF 2004

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                        HON. BENJAMIN L. CARDIN

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, April 2, 2004

  Mr. CARDIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Master Teacher 
Act of 2004.
  Qualified, experienced, dedicated teachers are our most valuable 
resources for educating the nation's children. Under the No Child Left 
Behind Act (NCLBA), states are required to recruit highly qualified 
teachers, yet rural schools and schools in low-income areas often have 
difficulty attracting and retaining faculty. The Master Teacher Act of 
2004 will help improve these schools' ability to attract the best 
teachers.
  The real tragedy in our education system is that so many schools are 
failing to meet adequate yearly progress (AYP) performance standards. 
As currently designated by NCLBA, one hundred percent of our nation's 
public school students must meet AYP standards in reading, math, and 
science by the 2013-14 school year. This seems an insurmountable task 
for many underfunded school districts. In my home state of Maryland, 
more than one-third of public schools are now considered failing. This 
is not acceptable.
  To improve educational achievement for all our students, we must 
ensure that underperforming public schools can attract and keep 
qualified teachers who will serve as a catalyst for change. The Master 
Teacher Act of 2004 will encourage teachers to work in those schools by 
offering tax incentives that will reward them financially for taking on 
such a challenge.
  ``Master teachers'' are defined as faculty who hold a master's 
degree, have at least five years teaching experience in a public 
elementary or secondary school, meet the ``highly qualified'' standard 
as defined by the NCLBA, and have obtained advanced certification in 
their state licensing system. My legislation would reward ``master 
teachers'' who agree to teach in an underperforming school by exempting 
25 percent of their gross income from federal taxes. They would be 
eligible for this exemption for up to four years. For the purposes of 
this legislation, underperforming schools are those that fail to meet 
Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) standards as defined by NCLBA.
  Mr. Speaker, good teachers are essential to a successful education 
system. They are the profession responsible for educating all other 
professionals, and therefore they are essential to our success as a 
nation. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this legislation 
and giving all our children access to the best teachers possible.

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