[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 44 (Wednesday, March 14, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3138-S3139]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mrs. FEINSTEIN (for herself and Mr. Voinovich):
  S. 883. A bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to extend 
loan forgiveness for certain loans to Head Start teachers; to the 
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
  Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President. I rise today with Senator Voinovich to 
introduce legislation that would expand the Federal student loan 
forgiveness program to include Head Start teachers.
  Nationwide, only 31 percent of Head Start teachers have completed a 
baccalaureate or advanced degree program.
  In California, that number is even smaller: only 21 percent of Head 
Start teachers have completed a bachelor's degree.
  To prepare Head Start children for elementary school, we must recruit 
highly qualified teachers who have demonstrated knowledge and teaching 
skills in reading, early childhood development, and other areas of the 
preschool curriculum with a particular focus on cognitive learning.
  Recruiting and retaining teachers with such qualifications is 
critical to ensuring that our children start elementary school ready to 
learn.
  A survey conducted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human 
Services, the Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (FACES), 
found that ``teachers with higher education levels were found to have 
more high quality language activities and more creative activities in 
their classrooms.''
  In order to give every child a jump start in life, we must continue 
to recruit highly qualified teachers to the Head Start field and 
prevent the best teachers from leaving.
  Many Head Start programs across the country, including in California, 
are losing qualified teachers to local school districts in part because 
the pay is better.
  Nationally, the average Head Start teacher earns a salary of about 
$21,000--almost half the amount of elementary school teachers' salary 
of about $43,000.
  Low pay, combined with increasing student debt, makes it increasingly 
difficult to attract and retain highly qualified Head Start teachers.
  We must provide incentives to encourage recent graduates, current 
Head Start teachers without a degree, and college students to enter and 
remain in this important field.
  This legislation would allow recent college graduates (obtaining a 
minimum of a bachelor's degree), and current Head Start teachers 
without a degree, to receive up to $5,000 of their Federal student 
loans forgiven in exchange for 5 years of teaching in a qualified Head 
Start program; and provide Head Start teachers with the same 
opportunity as currently offered to eligible elementary and secondary 
school teachers to receive up to $5,000 in loan forgiveness in exchange 
for 5 years of service.
  Providing our Nation's low-income children with access to highly 
educated and qualified Head Start teachers so that they enter school 
ready to learn is critical to their future success.
  Head Start is the primary Federal program that has the potential to 
reach out to low-income children early in their formative years when 
their cognitive skills are just developing.
  Research shows that Head Start is a smart investment in our 
children's future.
  For example, a 2003 Kindergarten Readiness: Head Start Success study 
of more than 600 graduates in San Bernardino County, CA, demonstrated 
that society receives nearly nine dollars in benefits, i.e. increased 
earnings and employment, for every one dollar invested in Head Start 
children.
  That is why we must act now.

[[Page S3139]]

  Every teacher that the Head Start program loses impacts the quality 
and access to services for our Nation's neediest children, and 
ultimately can impact their future success.
  I urge my colleagues to join me and Senator Voinovich in supporting 
this important legislation.
  I ask unanimous consent that the text of the legislation be printed 
in the Record.
  There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows:

                                 S. 883

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. LOAN FORGIVENESS FOR HEAD START TEACHERS.

       (a) Short Title.--This section may be cited as the ``Loan 
     Forgiveness for Head Start Teachers Act of 2007''.
       (b) Head Start Teachers.--Section 428J of the Higher 
     Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C 1078-10) is amended--
       (1) in subsection (b), by striking paragraph (1) and 
     inserting the following:
       ``(1)(A) has been employed--
       ``(i) as a full-time teacher for 5 consecutive complete 
     school years in a school that qualifies under section 
     465(a)(2)(A) for loan cancellation for Perkins loan 
     recipients who teach in such a school; or
       ``(ii) as a Head Start teacher for 5 consecutive complete 
     program years under the Head Start Act; and
       ``(B)(i) if employed as an elementary school or secondary 
     school teacher, is highly qualified as defined in section 
     9101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, 
     or meets the requirements of subsection (g)(3); and
       ``(ii) if employed as a Head Start teacher, has 
     demonstrated knowledge and teaching skills in reading, 
     writing, early childhood development, and other areas of a 
     preschool curriculum, with a focus on cognitive learning; 
     and'';
       (2) in subsection (g), by adding at the end the following:
       ``(4) Head start.--An individual shall be eligible for loan 
     forgiveness under this section for service described in 
     clause (ii) of subsection (b)(1)(A) only if such individual 
     received a baccalaureate or graduate degree on or after the 
     date of enactment of the Loan Forgiveness for Head Start 
     Teachers Act of 2007.''; and
       (3) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(i) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are 
     authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary 
     for fiscal year 2011 and succeeding fiscal years to carry out 
     loan repayment under this section for service described in 
     clause (ii) of subsection (b)(1)(A).''.
       (c) Direct Student Loan Forgiveness.--
       (1) In general.--Section 460 of the Higher Education Act of 
     1965 (20 U.S.C 1087j) is amended--
       (A) in subsection (b)(1), by striking subparagraph (A) and 
     inserting the following:
       ``(A)(i) has been employed--
       ``(I) as a full-time teacher for 5 consecutive complete 
     school years in a school that qualifies under section 
     465(a)(2)(A) for loan cancellation for Perkins loan 
     recipients who teach in such a school; or
       ``(II) as a Head Start teacher for 5 consecutive complete 
     program years under the Head Start Act; and
       ``(ii)(I) if employed as an elementary school or secondary 
     school teacher, is highly qualified as defined in section 
     9101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, 
     or meets the requirements of subsection (g)(3); and
       ``(II) if employed as a Head Start teacher, has 
     demonstrated knowledge and teaching skills in reading, 
     writing, early childhood development, and other areas of a 
     preschool curriculum, with a focus on cognitive learning; 
     and'';
       (B) in subsection (g), by adding at the end the following:
       ``(4) Head start.--An individual shall be eligible for loan 
     forgiveness under this section for service described in 
     subclause (II) of subsection (b)(l)(A)(i) only if such 
     individual received a baccalaureate or graduate degree on or 
     after the date of enactment of the Loan Forgiveness for Head 
     Start Teachers Act of 2007.''; and
       (C) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(i) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are 
     authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary 
     for fiscal year 2011 and succeeding fiscal years to carry out 
     loan repayment under this section for service described in 
     subclause (II) of subsection (b)(1)(A)(i).''.
       (d) Conforming Amendments.--
       (1) FFEL program.--Section 428J of the Higher Education Act 
     of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1078-10) is amended--
       (A) in subsection (c)(1), by inserting ``or fifth complete 
     program year'' after ``fifth complete school year of 
     teaching'';
       (B) in subsection (f), by striking ``subsection (b)'' and 
     inserting ``subsection (b)(1)(A)(i)'';
       (C) in subsection (g)(1)(A), by striking ``subsection 
     (b)(1)(A)'' and inserting ``subsection (b)(1)(A)(i)''; and
       (D) in subsection (h), by inserting ``except as part of the 
     term `program year','' before ``where''.
       (2) Direct loan program.--Section 460 of the Higher 
     Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087j) is amended--
       (A) in subsection (c)(1), by inserting ``or fifth complete 
     program year'' after ``fifth complete school year of 
     teaching'';
       (B) in subsection (f), by striking ``subsection (b)'' and 
     inserting ``subsection (b)(1)(A)(i)(I)'';
       (C) in subsection (g)(1)(A), by striking ``subsection 
     (b)(1)(A)'' and inserting ``subsection (b)(1)(A)(i)(I)''; and
       (D) in subsection (h), by inserting ``except as part of the 
     term `program year','' before ``where''.
                                 ______