[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 95 (Wednesday, July 19, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1459]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             INTRODUCTION OF THE TEACHER CENTER ACT OF 2006

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                           HON. GEORGE MILLER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 19, 2006

  Mr. MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased today to 
introduce the Teacher Center Act of 2006.
  First and foremost, I want to thank our teachers for their dedication 
and commitment to taking on all of the demands of their profession. We 
ask them to perform miracles every day in our underfunded and 
overcrowded system. And we owe it to them and to their students to 
provide more than rhetoric about our commitment to supporting teachers 
and helping them succeed.
  Teacher quality is the number one in-school influence on student 
achievement. Congress recognized this when we passed the No Child Left 
Behind law and we've come a long way in making sure that every child is 
taught by a highly qualified teacher. In NCLB we also took a major step 
forward in improving professional development opportunities for our 
Nation's teachers. We moved away from 1-day workshops that were not 
connected to the curriculum and, instead, provided resources to help 
States and local school districts develop programs that provide 
continuous, high-quality professional development. This was--and is--
essential to meeting the Nation's goal of high standards of learning 
for every child.
  Now we have a responsibility to go to the next step, building on 
innovative models of dynamic professional development. Teachers tell us 
that in order to better meet the learning needs of students, 
particularly those with the greatest needs, it is essential that we 
support teachers in honing their instructional skills and techniques 
with a full repertoire of research-based, proven strategies. We need to 
pay heed to their call.
  The Teacher Center Act of 2006 builds on NCLB by assisting teachers 
in helping students meet high academic standards. Teacher Centers align 
professional development with state standards and district curricula 
and incorporate research about proven classroom strategies--all while 
meeting high levels of rigor and expertise in both the design and 
delivery of services.
  Teacher Centers employ a strategy in which professional development 
is made available ``for teachers, of teachers, and by teachers.'' 
Teachers' voices drive and design the services, which are delivered by 
expert, practicing teachers and other experts. Teacher Centers provide 
teachers with opportunities to take charge of their own professional 
growth and take a lead in the decision-making and implementation of 
staff development programs based on their needs.
  One of the most exciting elements of Teacher Centers is the focus on 
data-driven instruction in which test results and other indicators of 
student need are used to drive classroom instruction and strategies. 
While Teacher Centers give priority focus to literacy and math, they 
also highlight other essential areas of the curriculum including 
science, social studies, art, music, foreign languages, health, and 
physical education. Interdisciplinary approaches to instruction are 
another example of the type of innovative approaches to professional 
development that the Teacher Centers provide.
  Teacher Centers also help to bridge the gap between groups of 
students by promoting the effective use of technology to support 
instruction. Technology is changing at lightning speed and Teacher 
Centers are particularly helpful to teachers by helping them learn to 
use technology effectively in their classrooms.
  Finally, as we move forward in efforts to ensure that all students 
receive a high-quality education, we must pay particular attention to 
the needs of English language learners, students with disabilities, 
recently arrived students from foreign countries, and other students 
with special needs. Teacher Centers provide a great opportunity for 
teachers of these students who have developed effective strategies for 
helping these students improve their academic achievement to share what 
they have learned with their peers.
  The Teacher Center Act of 2006 is a positive and important step in 
strengthening the teaching profession and in strengthening our schools. 
I look forward to achieving the vision of a better school system for 
all of our children.

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