Teachers and Parents at the Table Act

Summary: Teachers and Parents at the Table Act This bill amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to establish: (1) a Volunteer Teacher Advisory Committee to monitor the effects of the ESEA in classrooms, and (2) a Volunteer Parents and Families Advisory Committee to monitor the effects of the ESEA on children and families and to review and analyze the implementation of various family engagement activities.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Teachers and Parents at the Table 
Act''.

SEC. 2. VOLUNTEER TEACHER ADVISORY COMMITTEE.

    The Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6301 
et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 1004 (20 U.S.C. 6304) 
the following:

``SEC. 1005. VOLUNTEER TEACHER ADVISORY COMMITTEE.

    ``(a) Findings.--The Congress finds as follows:
            ``(1) Expert teachers offer an important resource to 
        policymakers as they can bring their expertise and perspective 
        from the classroom to inform policy so that positive outcomes 
        for all students will be maximized.
            ``(2) State Teachers of the Year represent a valuable 
        resource with a body of expert knowledge and skill about 
        instructional practice, 21st century learning, and school 
        functioning that can be infused into policymaking to promote 
        better outcomes for prekindergarten, elementary, and secondary 
        students.
            ``(3) State Teachers of the Year have been selected by 
        their communities and States as models of their profession and 
        represent every State in the Nation and every discipline and 
        grade level.
    ``(b) Establishment.--The Secretary shall establish an advisory 
committee, to be known as the Volunteer Teacher Advisory Committee 
(referred to in this section as the `Committee').
    ``(c) Duty.--The duty of the Committee shall be to monitor the 
effects of this Act, on the ground and in classrooms.
    ``(d) Membership.--
            ``(1) In general.--The membership of the Committee shall 
        consist of 10 teachers employed in a public elementary school 
        and 10 teachers employed in a public secondary school who--
                    ``(A) are past or present finalists or State 
                Teachers of the Year, or are nominated from 
                organizations representing teachers and have 
                demonstrated similar evidence of expertise;
                    ``(B) have experience working with policy 
                development;
                    ``(C) have a demonstrated history of working as a 
                teacher leader in the policy arena; and
                    ``(D) have submitted an application to the 
                Secretary to serve on the Committee.
            ``(2) List; appointment.--The Secretary shall compile a 
        list of teachers submitting applications under paragraph 
        (1)(D). The members of the Committee shall be appointed as 
        follows:
                    ``(A) The Secretary shall appoint 4 teachers from 
                the list.
                    ``(B) The Majority Leader of the Senate shall 
                appoint 4 teachers from the list.
                    ``(C) The Minority Leader of the Senate shall 
                appoint 4 teachers from the list.
                    ``(D) The Speaker of the House of Representatives 
                shall appoint 4 teachers from the list.
                    ``(E) The Minority Leader of the House of 
                Representatives shall appoint 4 teachers from the list.
            ``(3) Special requirements.--
                    ``(A) Finalists or state teachers of the year.--Not 
                less than half of the members of the Committee shall be 
                past or present finalists or State Teachers of the 
                Year.
                    ``(B) Representation requirement.--The members of 
                the Committee shall represent the diversity of the 
                teaching workforce from multiple geographic, grade 
                level, and specialty areas.
            ``(4) Term.--Each member of the Committee shall serve on 
        the Committee for a 3-year staggered term.
    ``(e) Annual Report.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Committee shall submit to Congress 
        and the Secretary--
                    ``(A) on an annual basis, a report on the 
                monitoring carried out under subsection (c); and
                    ``(B) on a quarterly basis, updates on such 
                monitoring.
            ``(2) Contents of report.--The report submitted under 
        paragraph (1) shall include, at a minimum, the following:
                    ``(A) The effects of this Act on the teaching 
                profession.
                    ``(B) The effects of this Act on schools and 
                classrooms.
                    ``(C) The effects of this Act on students, 
                families, and communities.
                    ``(D) Recommendations for strengthening policy and 
                policy implementation in order to meet the goals of the 
                Act.
    ``(f) Additional Requirements.--The following additional 
requirements shall apply to the Committee:
            ``(1) The Committee shall meet in person at least once per 
        year for deliberation, with all travel expenses paid for by the 
        Secretary.
            ``(2) The Committee shall be available for consultation 
        with officials at the Department and the authorizing Committees 
        of Congress regarding the impact of this Act on students, 
        families, and the teaching profession.
    ``(g) Definition.--In this section, the term `State Teacher of the 
Year' means any person who has been recognized as a State Teacher of 
the Year by the Council of Chief State School Officers.
    ``(h) Authorization of Funds.--Of the amounts appropriated to, and 
available at the discretion of, the Secretary for programmatic and 
administrative expenditures for fiscal years 2017 through 2021, a total 
of $500,000 shall be used to establish and carry out the functions of 
the Committee established under this section.''.

SEC. 3. VOLUNTEER PARENTS AND FAMILIES ADVISORY COMMITTEE.

    The Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6301 
et seq.), as amended by section 2 of this Act, is further amended by 
inserting after section 1005 (as added by such section 2) the 
following:

``SEC. 1006. VOLUNTEER PARENTS AND FAMILIES ADVISORY COMMITTEE.

    ``(a) Findings.--The Congress finds the following:
            ``(1) Parents and families have a major influence on their 
        children's achievement in school and throughout life.
            ``(2) Parents and family members offer an important 
        resource to policymakers as they provide a unique perspective 
        as consumers of our Nation's public schools.
            ``(3) All parents and family members--regardless of income, 
        education, or cultural background-- are involved in their 
        child's learning and want their child to reach their fullest 
        potential.
    ``(b) Establishment.--The Secretary shall establish an advisory 
committee, to be known as the Volunteer Parents and Families Advisory 
Committee (referred to in this section as the `Committee').
    ``(c) Duties and Focus.--The duty of the Committee shall be to 
monitor the effects of this Act on children and families, and review 
and analyze implementation of State and local parent and family 
engagement policies, school-parent compacts, and other family 
engagement activities described in section 1116 and part E of title IV.
    ``(d) Membership.--
            ``(1) In general.--The membership of the Committee shall 
        consist of 10 parents or family members of children enrolled in 
        a public elementary school and 10 parents or family members of 
        children enrolled in a public secondary school who--
                    ``(A) have a demonstrated history of parental 
                involvement and family engagement in schools; and
                    ``(B) have submitted an application to the 
                Secretary to serve on the Committee.
            ``(2) List; appointment.--The Secretary shall compile a 
        list of parents and family members submitting applications 
        under paragraph (1)(B). The members of the Committee shall be 
        appointed as follows:
                    ``(A) The Secretary shall appoint 4 parents or 
                family members from the list.
                    ``(B) The Majority Leader of the Senate shall 
                appoint 4 parents or family members from the list.
                    ``(C) The Minority Leader of the Senate shall 
                appoint 4 parents or family members from the list.
                    ``(D) The Speaker of the House of Representatives 
                shall appoint 4 parents or family members from the 
                list.
                    ``(E) The Minority Leader of the House of 
                Representatives shall appoint 4 parents or family 
                members from the list.
            ``(3) Representation requirement.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The members of the Committee 
                shall represent multiple geographic areas and a 
                diversity of students, and shall include at least one 
                parent or family member representing each of the 
                following student groups:
                            ``(i) Economically disadvantaged students.
                            ``(ii) Students from major racial and 
                        ethnic groups.
                            ``(iii) Children with disabilities.
                            ``(iv) English learners.
                    ``(B) Special consideration.--Consideration should 
                also be given to representation of students' gender 
                identity and migrant status in the appointment of 
                members of the Committee.
            ``(4) Research advisors.--The Secretary may appoint not 
        more than 5 research advisors to the Committee, such as 
        researchers, practitioners or representatives from national 
        nonprofit organizations with expertise in family engagement in 
        education, to make data-driven recommendations regarding family 
        engagement in education metrics.
            ``(5) Term.--Each member of the Committee shall serve on 
        the Committee for a 3-year staggered term.
    ``(e) Annual Report.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Committee shall submit to Congress 
        and the Secretary--
                    ``(A) on an annual basis, a report and policy 
                recommendations on the review and analysis carried out 
                under subsection (c); and
                    ``(B) on a quarterly basis, updates on such review 
                and analysis.
            ``(2) Contents of report.--The report submitted under 
        paragraph (1) shall include, at a minimum, the following:
                    ``(A) The effects of this Act on students, 
                families, and communities.
                    ``(B) The effects of this Act on parental 
                involvement and family engagement in education, 
                including schools and classrooms.
                    ``(C) Direction for State education authorities and 
                local education authorities for implementing written 
                family engagement policies under section 1116 and part 
                E of title IV.
                    ``(D) Recommendations for strengthening policy and 
                policy implementation in order to meet the goals of the 
                Act.
    ``(f) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) The term `family engagement' means a shared 
        responsibility of families and schools for student success--
                    ``(A) in which schools and community-based 
                organizations are committed to reaching out to engage 
                families in meaningful ways and families are committed 
                actively to support their children's learning and 
                development;
                    ``(B) that is continuous from birth through young 
                adulthood; and
                    ``(C) that reinforces learning that takes place in 
                the home, school, and community.
            ``(2) The term `parental involvement' means the 
        participation of parents or family members in regular, two-way, 
        and meaningful communication involving student academic 
        learning and other school activities, including ensuring--
                    ``(A) that parents or family members play an 
                integral role in assisting their child's learning;
                    ``(B) that parents or family members are encouraged 
                to be actively involved in their child's education at 
                school;
                    ``(C) that parents or family members are full 
                partners in their child's education and are included, 
                as appropriate, in decisionmaking and on advisory 
                committees to assist in the education of their child; 
                and
                    ``(D) the carrying out of other activities, such as 
                those described in section 1116.
    ``(g) Authorization of Funds.--Of the amounts appropriated to, and 
available at the discretion of, the Secretary for programmatic and 
administrative expenditures for fiscal years 2017 through 2021, a total 
of $500,000 shall be used to establish and carry out the functions of 
the Committee established under this section.''.