[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 175 (Friday, October 9, 2020)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E945]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          INTRODUCTION OF THE INTERSTATE TEACHING MOBILITY ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. ANDRE CARSON

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, October 9, 2020

  Mr. CARSON of Indiana. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to reintroduce the 
Interstate Teaching Mobility Act. This broadly supported legislation 
will create a new voluntary program at the Department of Education 
(DOE) to allow licensed teachers to use their licenses across state 
lines. I am pleased that this legislation has been endorsed by both 
National Education Association (NEA) and Third Way.
  In 2018, the United States experienced a shortage of 112,00 teachers 
in our classrooms across the country. This shortage deprives our 
students of high-quality learning and negatively affects student 
outcomes. Alarmingly, our country's projected annual shortage of 
teachers is expected to almost triple--to 316,000--by 2025. Teacher 
shortages disproportionately disadvantage students in underserved 
communities by widening student-to-teacher ratio which then negatively 
affects student achievement. Having low student-to-teacher ratios 
ensures that every student gets the attention they need, and struggling 
students are not left behind. In Indiana, this problem has gotten 
worse: between 2016 and 2020, the student-to-teacher ratio in my state 
grew from 16:1 to 17:1, bringing our state's student-to-teacher ratio 
well above the national average. In fact, Indiana remains the 42nd 
worst state in the nation for student-to-teacher ratios. And this 
teacher disparity does not affect all students equally: student-teacher 
ratios are highest in minority schools and schools with the most low-
income schools.
  Teacher shortages not only affect student-teacher ratios, they also 
limit the number of subjectmatter teachers available for students. In 
Indiana, we have consistently faced major teacher shortages as defined 
by the Department of Education (DOE). In the most recent data 
available, Indiana continues to face a shortage of teachers in the 
subjects of mathematics, science, early childhood, and technology. 
Study after study has shown that teacher shortages which results in 
poor student-to-teacher ratios, insufficient subject-matter teachers, 
and the corresponding decline in education quality disproportionally 
disadvantages Black and Brown students.
  One of the main reasons that many schools can't fill teacher 
shortages is because of the inconsistent state-by-state differences in 
teaching licensing requirements. This prevents licensed teachers from 
taking their skills and credentials to teach in other states without 
significant obstacles. These obstacles can include completing 
additional requirements, such as exams or coursework, or paying 
additional fees, even if the teacher has already completed an approved 
credentialing program or has a strong teaching record. Alarmingly, a 
majority of states do not accept out-of-state teaching credentials, 
further compounding shortages in disadvantaged areas.
  As our nation's workforce becomes increasingly mobile, these 
requirements also dramatically decrease the flexibility of our nation's 
teaching workforce. For military spouses--who frequently relocate and 
among whom teaching is the second most common profession--or out-of-
state college graduates who want to teach in their home state, this 
problem is especially pronounced. Long term, these roadblocks likely 
deter many prospective teachers from entering this vital profession. 
The bottom line is this: differing licensing requirements and lack of 
licensing reciprocity prevents too many teachers from serving in 
understaffed and underserved communities across state lines. And as we 
have seen in states like Indiana, our communities desperately need more 
high-quality teachers to lower student-teacher ratios and improve 
outcomes.
  These obstacles have real and negative impacts on our students. 
Teacher shortages disproportionately harm students in underserved 
communities by denying them adequate teacher-student ratios that 
research shows help to enable student success. School administrators in 
underserved communities face difficulties in attracting out-of-state, 
high-quality teachers to fill their open teaching positions due to 
licensing inconsistencies.
  That's why I am reintroducing the Interstate Teaching Mobility Act 
today. This legislation will create a voluntary interstate application 
program at the Department of Education (DOE) to allow licensed teachers 
to use their licenses across participating state lines.
  This legislation will empower teachers to apply for open teaching 
positions in participating states without being subject to additional 
certifications or assessments. As a result, it will be easier for 
teachers to transfer their skills across participating state lines and 
provide more students with access to high-quality teachers. 
Importantly, this new flexibility will help alleviate teacher 
shortages--especially in disadvantaged communities and school 
districts--by allowing school administrators greater ability to hire 
more high-quality teachers.
  Under this legislation, increased flexibility will not come at the 
cost of teacher quality. A participating state will be required to 
adhere to standards of content knowledge, pedagogical assessment, and 
performance assessments. 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.
  The COVID-19 pandemic has taught us the importance of flexibility and 
teacher quality in ensuring that our students receive the best 
education. However, the current state-by-state inconsistences regarding 
teacher licenses prevent many high-quality teachers from transferring 
their skills across state lines to serve in communities facing teacher 
shortages.
  The Interstate Teaching Mobility Act will help address these issues 
by empowering teachers to transfer their skills across state lines and 
enabling school administrators to hire more high-quality teachers to 
fill teacher shortages, especially in disadvantaged communities, and 
lead to better student outcomes.
  I urge the House to support this bill.

                          ____________________