[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 11]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 14270]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




         INTRODUCTION OF THE HIGH QUALITY TEACHERS ACT 0F 2009

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                          HON. SUSAN A. DAVIS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                          Monday, June 8, 2009

  Mrs. DAVIS of California. Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce 
legislation encouraging teacher development in the schools that are in 
need of quality instructors.
  Several years ago, we passed the No Child Left Behind Act, NCLB, with 
the goals of closing the achievement gap and improving academic 
performance overall. Schools have since found some success, but I 
believe we need to make a number of changes to NCLB to make it more 
supportive for educators.
  Madam Speaker, our teachers are crucial to our educational system. It 
is teachers who connect with our children and inspire them to achieve.
  I am introducing the High Quality Teaching Act of 2009 to provide 
professional development opportunities for our teachers in struggling 
or at-risk schools.
  Specifically, this legislation authorizes federal grant funding for 
schools to invite the National Board for Professional Teaching 
Standards, NBPTS, to implement its Targeted High Need Initiative, THNI. 
The NBPTS trains teachers to become professionally certified.
  This legislation targets funding to the schools the most in need of 
quality teaching, such as those falling into Program Improvement under 
No Child Left Behind or those with high student populations from 
disadvantaged backgrounds.
  Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support professional teacher 
development in the schools that could benefit from the best possible 
instruction.

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