The House Education and the Workforce Committee approved two pieces of legislation (H.R. 438 and H.R. 2211) on June 10, passing each by voice vote after brief debate. H.R. 438, the Teacher Recruitment and Retention Act, and H.R. 2211, the Ready to Teach Act, both aim to support teachers by increasing the loan forgiveness available to teachers in subjects in which there are teacher shortages, and to improve training programs available to teachers.
H.R. 2211 would provide incentives for teachers in subjects with teacher shortagesnamely math, science, and special educationto 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 fund collaborations to train teachers. The measure would require that college teaching programs receiving federal grants graduate teachers highly skilled in teaching their core subjects.
“I believe this legislation will make a difference in the lives of America’s children by significantly improving the programs that train the teachers of tomorrow,” said bill sponsor Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-GA). “The successful education of this nation’s children is inextricably tied to the quality of teachers educating them.”
Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) offered an amendment that would raise standards for pre-school teachers, allowing states to spend money training teachers who teach children under four years of age. The amendment was adopted by voice vote. An amendment offered by Rep. Rush Holt (D-NJ), also approved by voice vote, would increase minimum service requirements for students who receive scholarships under the grant plan, and provide services for those moving into teaching from another career.
The Teacher Recruitment and Retention Act would more than triple the amount of loan forgiveness for math, science, and special education teachers. Bill sponsor Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) called the goal of the legislation “simple but monumental: to ensure our nation’s children are prepared to compete in an ever increasingly competitive global market that is based on science and technology.”
H.R. 438 would increase the maximum amount of student loan forgiveness for math, science, and special education teachers from the current $5,000 to $17,500. In order to qualify for the loan forgiveness program, teachers would have to agree to teach in a Title I school for five consecutive years. A portion of the loan forgiveness would be available after two years of teaching. An existing program that offers $5,000 in loan forgiveness for teachers in all subjects in low-income schools would continue.
Reps. John Tierney (D-MA) and Robert Andrews (D-NJ) offered an amendment that would have extended the incentive to Head Start teachers as well. Republicans argued that, since funds were limited, math, science and special education had to take precedence. The amendment was defeated, 12-15.
The panel also rejected, 12-16, an amendment offered by Rep. Donald Payne (D-NJ) that would have offered the $17,500 incentive to teachers in low-income schools who specialized in subjects other than math, science, and special education.
