[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 126 (Wednesday, July 26, 2017)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1059-E1060]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            INTRODUCING THE INTERSTATE TEACHING MOBILITY ACT

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                           HON. ANDRE CARSON

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 26, 2017

  Mr. CARSON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to re-introduce the 
bipartisan Interstate Teaching Mobility Act. This broadly supported and 
bipartisan proposal would authorize the Secretary of Education to work 
with an outside entity to create a voluntary, interstate teacher 
licensing program that would allow eligible teachers to transfer their 
licenses between states.
  Our country's systems of teacher licensure create problems for 
teachers, students, and schools alike. Licensing and certification 
requirements for teachers are inconsistent from state to state, and 
even within states, with hundreds of licensure tests in use and other 
requirements varying substantially. The level of rigor is also highly 
variable--with the bar far too low in many cases. As a result of these 
differences, the majority of states do not accept out-of-state teaching 
credentials.
  For teachers, this poses clear obstacles. A teacher licensed in one 
state who wishes to teach in another may have to complete additional 
requirements, such as exams or coursework, or pay additional fees, even 
if he has already completed an approved credentialing program or has a 
strong teaching record. As our nation's workforce becomes increasingly 
mobile, these requirements dramatically decrease the mobility of our 
nation's teaching workforce. For military spouses, who frequently 
relocate--among whom teaching is the second most common profession--or 
out-of-state college graduates wishing to teach in their home state, 
this problem is particularly acute. These roadblocks likely deter many 
prospective teachers from entering this vital profession.
  The system also presents a real problem for school districts, as 
schools across the country face a growing teacher shortage. Across the 
board, teacher education enrollment dropped 35 percent from 2009 to 
2014; however, the types of shortages vary across states. Limited 
licensure policies make it even more difficult for school 
administrators to fill teaching positions--and for students, the 
consequence results in less access to high-quality teachers.
  The Interstate Teaching Mobility Act would direct the Department of 
Education to create a new, voluntary program for states to participate 
in an interstate teaching application process. Teachers licensed or 
certified in one participating state would be eligible to teach in 
another. A participating state would be required to adhere to standards 
of content knowledge, pedagogical assessment, and performance 
assessment identified as sufficiently rigorous by an outside 
organization. This would ensure high standards for our teachers, while 
maintaining the essential role of the states in setting specific 
requirements for teaching in the state or obtaining licenses in the 
state.

[[Page E1060]]

  With programs like the one envisioned by this bill, teachers could 
far more easily transfer their skills to another participating state. 
Teachers would benefit from the ability to more easily relocate, while 
schools and districts would have superior options for filling teacher 
shortages. Above all, students will benefit from rigorous standards set 
by their home state and will have increased access to high-quality 
teachers.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting the Interstate Teaching 
Mobility Act.

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