Preparing Excellent Teachers Act of 2006 - Authorizes the Secretary of Education to make grants to states and local educational agencies to establish and support teacher mentoring programs to attract and train teachers of exceptional ability who are mid-career professionals or recent college graduates. Places limits on the amount, number, and distribution of such grants.
[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4773 Introduced in House (IH)]
109th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 4773
To direct the Secretary of Education to make grants to States and local
educational agencies to establish teacher mentoring programs.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 16, 2006
Mr. Emanuel introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Education and the Workforce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To direct the Secretary of Education to make grants to States and local
educational agencies to establish teacher mentoring programs.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Preparing Excellent Teachers Act of
2006''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) The shortage of qualified teachers in the United States
has reached critical levels.
(2) Education experts predict that over the next decade,
the United States will need more than 2 million new teachers.
(3) In urban districts, nearly 50 percent of new teachers
leave teaching during their first five years.
(4) These numbers have a direct impact on the quality of
the education of the children of the United States.
SEC. 3. GRANTS FOR TEACHER MENTORING PROGRAMS.
(a) Authority to Make Grants.--The Secretary of Education may make
grants in accordance with subsections (d) and (e) to States and local
educational agencies to assist such States and agencies, in cooperation
with universities and colleges in accordance with subsection (b), to
establish and support teacher mentoring programs in schools for the
purpose of attracting and training teachers of exceptional ability who
are mid-career professionals or recent college graduates.
(b) Eligibility to Participate in Program.--To be eligible to
participate in a teacher mentoring program under this section, a mid-
career professional or recent college graduate shall be enrolled in a
masters degree program in education or teaching in a university or
college that--
(1) has entered into a written agreement relating to such
program with the State or local educational agency that is the
recipient of a grant under this section;
(2) is located in such State or local educational agency;
and
(3) is accredited by the Council of Higher Education
Accreditation and the accrediting agency in the State, if any.
(c) Practical Experience.--
(1) In general.--A mid-career professional or recent
college graduate who participates in a teacher mentoring
program shall, under the supervision of an experienced mentor
teacher, complete not fewer than ten months teaching a class
containing not more than 30 students and not fewer than 10
students in a school chosen by the State or local educational
agency that is the recipient of a grant under this section.
(2) Experienced mentor teacher defined.--In this
subsection, the term ``experienced mentor teacher'' means a
teacher who--
(A) has at least five years teaching experience
teaching in a school in the State or local educational
agency that is the recipient of a grant under this
section; and
(B) has a masters degree in education or teaching.
(d) Teacher Certification.--As a condition of receiving a grant
under this section, a university or college shall award to a mid-career
professional or recent college graduate who successfully completes a
teacher mentoring program a teacher certification that is valid in the
State or local educational agency in which such university or college
is located.
(e) Amount, Number, and Distribution of Grants.--
(1) Amount.--A grant under this section shall be in an
amount that is 50 percent of the cost of establishing and
supporting a teacher mentoring program in a State or local
educational agency, but such grant may not exceed $2,500,000.
(2) Number.--The Secretary may not make more than ten such
grants each fiscal year, beginning with fiscal year 2007.
(3) Distribution.--A State or local educational agency may
receive not more than two grants each fiscal year.
(f) Duration of Program.--A teacher mentoring program under this
section shall be for a period of one academic year.
(g) Agreement With Teachers for Placement in a School.--A mid-
career professional or recent college graduate who successfully
completes a teacher mentoring program under this section shall agree in
writing to placement as a teacher in a school chosen by the State or
local educational agency. Such placement shall be for a period of five
academic years beginning with the academic year that begins after the
successful completion by such professional or graduate in the teacher
mentoring program.
(h) Application.--To receive a grant under this section, a State or
local educational agency shall submit to the Secretary an application
at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the
Secretary may prescribe.
(i) Competitive Basis for Selection.--The Secretary shall award
grants to States and local educational agencies on a competitive basis.
(j) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be
appropriated to the Secretary $25,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2007
through 2011 to carry out this section. Amounts appropriated are
authorized to remain available until expended, and may be used by the
Secretary to make additional grants, in accordance with this section,
in a fiscal year beginning with fiscal year 2012.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
Referred to the Subcommittee on 21st Century Competitiveness.
Llama 3.2 · runs locally in your browser
Ask anything about this bill. The AI reads the full text to answer.
Enter to send · Shift+Enter for new line