[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 97 (Thursday, June 25, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7078-S7079]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. ROCKEFELLER:
  S. 1357. A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide 
a tax incentive to individuals teaching in elementary and secondary 
schools located in rural or high unemployment areas and to individuals 
who achieve certification from the National Board for Professional 
Teaching Standards, and for other purposes; to the Committee on 
Finance.
  Mr. ROCKEFELLER. Mr. President, I believe that perhaps the most 
effective way to improve the education of our children is to invest in 
their teachers, and make certain that quality teachers have the 
incentive to stay in the classroom.
  Unfortunately, without new investments, our disadvantaged and rural 
schools may not be able to attract the qualified teachers needed to 
prepare our children for the 21st Century workplace. Isolated and 
impoverished, too many West Virginia schools must compete against 
higher paying, well-funded schools for scarce classroom talent. As a 
result, they face a shortage of qualified teachers, particularly in 
math, science and foreign languages.
  Today, I am introducing a bill designed to invest in bringing 
dedicated and qualified teaching professionals to West Virginia and 
America's disadvantaged and rural schools. This bill will help give 
students the opportunity to learn and flourish, an opportunity that 
every child deserves. The Incentives To Educate American Children Act--
or I Teach Act--will provide teachers with a refundable tax credit 
every year they teach in the public schools with the most need. And it 
will give every public school teacher--regardless of the school they 
choose--a refundable tax credit for earning their certification by the 
National Board for Professional

[[Page S7079]]

Teaching Standards. Together, these two tax credits will give 
economically depressed areas a better ability to recruit and retain 
skilled teachers.
  There are over 16,000 rural school districts in the U.S., and these 
schools face real challenges in recruiting and retaining teachers, as 
well as dealing with other issues related to their rural location. 
Disadvantaged urban schools must overcome similar difficulties. My I 
Teach Act will reward teachers willing to work in rural or 
disadvantaged schools with an annual $1,000 refundable tax credit. 
Additionally, teachers that obtain certification by the National Board 
for Professional Teaching Standards will receive an annual $1,000 
refundable tax credit. Therefore, teachers who work in rural or 
disadvantaged schools and get certified will earn a $2000 credit. 
Schools that desperately need help attracting teachers will get a 
boost, and children educated in disadvantaged and rural schools will 
benefit most.
  In my state of West Virginia, as in over 30 other states, there is 
already a state fiscal incentive for teachers who earn National Board 
certification. My legislation builds upon the West Virginia program. 
Together, they will create a powerful tax incentive for teachers to 
remain in the classroom and to use their skills where they are most 
needed.
  Education is among our top national priorities. It is essential for 
all children and it is vital for our economic and national security. 
Teachers are a critical component of quality education, and they 
deserve the incentives to stay in the classroom.
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