House Subcommittee Approves Teacher Training Bill - Women's Congressional Policy Institute

On June 4, the House Education and the Workforce Subcommittee on 21st Century Competitiveness marked up legislation (H.R. 2211) designed to strengthen and improve teacher training programs. The subcommittee approved the bill, sponsored by Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-GA), by voice vote. Subcommittee Chair Buck McKeon (R-CA) praised the bill, saying, “There is widespread awareness that the subject matter knowledge and teaching skills of teachers play a central role in the success of elementary and secondary education reform.”

The Ready to Teach Act aims to provide incentives for teachers in subjects with teacher shortages, namely math and science, to teach in “high-need” schools. It would authorize three types of grants for teacher training: state grants for reforming requirements for teacher preparation; teacher recruitment grants aimed at attracting high-quality talent into schools; and partnership grants, which would be used to combine several groups together to train teachers.

The subcommittee approved several amendments by voice vote:

An amendment by Reps. Max Burns (R-GA) and Major Owens (D-NY) that would create a Centers of Excellence program designed to offer opportunities for minority teachers.
An amendment by Rep. Ruben Hinojosa (D-TX) that would authorize funding for teachers who specialize in teaching children with limited English proficiency.
An amendment by Rep. David Wu (D-OR) that would authorize grants aimed at bringing workers from technological industries to the teaching profession.
An amendment by Rep. John Tierney (D-MA) that would permit experienced teachers to take paid time off during the day to mentor new teachers.