To authorize the Secretary of Education to establish a program for displaced aerospace professionals to become certified elementary, secondary, or vocational school teachers.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Space to Schools Act of 2010''.

SEC. 2. PROGRAM.

    (a) Purpose.--The Secretary of Education may carry out a program 
(in this Act referred to as the ``Program'') to--
            (1) encourage highly skilled retiring or displaced 
        aerospace professionals with backgrounds in science, 
        technology, engineering, or mathematics to pursue careers as 
        elementary, secondary, or vocational school teachers; and
            (2) promote science, technology, engineering, and 
        mathematics (STEM) education in kindergarten through grade 12 
        by encouraging aerospace professionals to pursue careers in 
        teaching.
    (b) Eligibility.--
            (1) Eligible individuals.--An individual who is eligible to 
        participate in the Program is an individual--
                    (A) who is a former employee of the National 
                Aeronautics and Space Administration, its suppliers, or 
                a related contractor; and
                    (B) who has relevant work experience in the 
                aerospace industry.
            (2) School eligibility.--An eligible local education 
        agency, charter school, or vocational school may receive 
        Program participants.
    (c) Submission of Applications.--
            (1) Form and submission.--Selection of eligible individuals 
        to participate in the Program shall be made on the basis of 
        applications submitted to the Secretary of Education within the 
        time periods specified in paragraph (2). An application shall 
        be in such form and contain such information as the Secretary 
        may require.
            (2) Time for submission.--An application shall be 
        considered to be submitted on a timely basis if it submitted 
        not later than 4 years after the date on which the individual 
        is retired, separated, or released from employment in the 
        aerospace industry.
    (d) Selection Criteria.--
            (1) Establishment.--Subject to paragraphs (2) and (3), the 
        Secretary shall prescribe the criteria to be used to select 
        eligible individuals to participate in the Program.
            (2) Educational background.--
                    (A) Elementary or secondary school teacher.--If an 
                applicant is applying for assistance for placement as 
                an elementary or secondary school teacher, the 
                Secretary shall require the applicant to have received 
                a baccalaureate or advanced degree from an accredited 
                institution of higher education in a science, 
                technology, engineering, or mathematics field.
                    (B) Vocational or technical teacher.--If an 
                applicant for assistance for placement as vocational or 
                technical teacher, the Secretary shall require the 
                applicant to have--
                            (i) received an associate degree, 
                        postsecondary training, or related 
                        certification obtained through service in the 
                        Armed Forces;
                            (ii) have 6 or more years of work 
                        experience in a vocational or technical field; 
                        or
                            (iii) otherwise meet the certification or 
                        licensing requirements for a vocational or 
                        technical teacher in the State in which the 
                        applicant seeks assistance for placement under 
                        the Program.
            (3) Termination of employment.--An applicant who was 
        terminated from previous employment for cause shall be 
        ineligible to participate in the Program.
    (e) Participation Agreement.--
            (1) In general.--An eligible individual selected to 
        participate in the Program and receive financial assistance 
        under this section shall be required to enter into an agreement 
        with the Secretary in which the participant agrees--
                    (A) within such time as the Secretary may require, 
                to obtain certification or licensing as an elementary, 
                secondary, vocational, or technical school teacher, and 
                to become a highly qualified teacher; and
                    (B) to accept an offer of full-time employment as 
                an elementary, secondary, vocational, or technical 
                school teacher for not less than 3 school years and 
                commit to teaching in the subjects of science, 
                technology, engineering, or mathematics with an 
                eligible local educational agency, charter school, or 
                vocational school to begin the school year after 
                obtaining such certification or licensing.
            (2) Waiver.--The Secretary may waive the 3-year commitment 
        described in paragraph (1)(B) for a participant if the 
        Secretary determined such waiver to be appropriate.
            (3) Stipends for participants.--
                    (A) Stipend authorized.--The Secretary may pay to a 
                participant in the Program a stipend in an amount of 
                not more than $5,000 to be used towards obtaining 
                licensing or certification for elementary or secondary 
                teaching or vocational teaching programs.
                    (B) Stipend bonus.--The Secretary, in lieu of 
                paying a stipend under subparagraph (A), may pay a 
                bonus of $10,000 to a participant in the Program who 
                agrees in the participation agreement to become a 
                highly qualified teacher and accept full-time 
                employment as an elementary, secondary, vocational, or 
                technical teacher for not less than 3 years in a high-
                need school and teach in the subject area of science, 
                technology, engineering, or mathematics.
    (f) Reimbursement Under Certain Circumstances.--
            (1) Reimbursement required.--A participant in the Program 
        who is paid a stipend or bonus under this section shall be 
        required to repay the stipend or bonus under the following 
        circumstances:
                    (A) Failure to obtain qualifications or 
                employment.--The participant fails to obtain teacher 
                certification or licensing, to become a highly 
                qualified teacher, or to obtain employment as an 
                elementary school teacher, secondary school teacher, or 
                vocational or technical teacher as required by the 
                participation agreement under subsection (e).
                    (B) Termination of employment.--The participant 
                voluntarily leaves, or is terminated for cause from, 
                employment as an elementary school teacher, secondary 
                school teacher, or vocational or technical teacher 
                during the 3 years of required service in violation of 
                the participation agreement.
            (2) Amount of reimbursement.--A participant required to 
        reimburse the Secretary for a stipend or bonus paid to the 
        participant under this section shall pay an amount that bears 
        the same ratio to the amount of the stipend or bonus as the 
        unserved portion of required service bears to the 3 years of 
        required service. Any amount owed by the participant shall bear 
        interest at the rate equal to the highest rate being paid by 
        the United States on the day on which the reimbursement is 
        determined to be due for securities having maturities of 90 
        days or less and shall accrue from the day on which the 
        participant is first notified of the amount due.
            (3) Treatment of obligation.--The obligation to reimburse 
        the Secretary under this subsection is, for all purposes, a 
        debt owing the United States. A discharge in bankruptcy under 
        title 11, United States Code, shall not release a participant 
        from the obligation to reimburse the Secretary under this 
        subsection.
    (g) Advisory Board.--
            (1) No later than 120 days after enactment of this Act, the 
        Secretary shall establish an Advisory Board whose duties 
        include--
                    (A) collecting, considering, and disseminating 
                feedback from participants, State educational agencies, 
                local educational agencies, charter schools, and 
                vocational schools on best practices for recruitment of 
                eligible individuals to participate in the Program;
                    (B) ensuring elementary schools, secondary schools, 
                and vocational schools are aware of the Program and how 
                to participate in it;
                    (C) developing guidelines to help individuals 
                selected to participate in the Program identify and 
                enroll in licensing or certification training for 
                elementary or secondary education teaching or 
                vocational teaching programs; and
                    (D) coordinating the goals of the Program with 
                other Federal, State, and local education needs.
            (2) No later than 1 year after the date of enactment of 
        this Act, and annually thereafter, prepare and submit a report 
        to the Committee on Education and Labor of the House of 
        Representatives and the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, 
        and Pensions of the Senate, which shall include--
                    (A) information with respect to the activities of 
                the Advisory Board;
                    (B) information with respect to the Program, 
                including--
                            (i) the number of participants in the 
                        Program;
                            (ii) the number of States participating in 
                        the Program;
                            (iii) the local educational agencies and 
                        schools where participants are employed;
                            (iv) the grade levels at which the 
                        participants teach;
                            (v) the academic subjects taught by 
                        participants;
                            (vi) the hours of clinical and classroom 
                        time participants completed during the 
                        certification or licensing required for 
                        participation in the Program;
                            (vii) a review of the stipend and bonus 
                        available to participants; and
                            (viii) other demographic information as may 
                        be necessary to evaluate the effectiveness of 
                        the Program; and
                    (C) recommendations for improvements and other 
                necessary changes to ensure that the Program is meeting 
                the purpose as described in subsection (a).
    (h) Definitions.--In this Act:
            (1) In general.--The terms ``elementary school'', ``highly 
        qualified''; ``local educational agency'', ``secondary 
        school'', ``State educational agency'', and ``State'' have the 
        meaning given the terms in section 9101 of the Elementary and 
        Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).
            (2) Charter school.--The term ``charter school'' has the 
        meaning given such term in section 5210 of the Elementary and 
        Secondary Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7221i).
            (3) Eligible local educational agency.--The term ``eligible 
        local educational agency'' means a local educational agency 
        receiving funding under part A of title I of the Elementary and 
        Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6311 et seq.).
            (4) High-need school.--The term ``high-need school'' means 
        an elementary school, secondary school, or vocational school 
        under the jurisdiction of an eligible local educational agency, 
        or a charter school, or vocational school, where at least 50 
        percent of the students enrolled in the school are--
                    (A) in poverty counted in the most recent census 
                data approved by the Secretary;
                    (B) eligible for free and reduced priced lunches 
                under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act 
                (42 U.S.C. 1751 et seq.);
                    (C) in families receiving assistance under the 
                State program funded under part A of title IV of the 
                Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 601 et seq.); or
                    (D) eligible to receive medical assistance under 
                the State Medicaid program under title XIX of the 
                Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396 et seq.).
            (5) Institution of higher education.--The term 
        ``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given such 
        term in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
        U.S.C. 1001).
            (6) Vocational school.--The term ``vocational school'' 
        means--
                    (A) a specialized public secondary school used 
                exclusively or principally for the provision of 
                vocational and technical education to individuals who 
                are available for study in preparation for entering the 
                labor market; or
                    (B) the department or division of an institution of 
                higher education that provides vocational and technical 
                education in not fewer than five different occupational 
                fields leading to immediate employment but not 
                necessarily leading to a baccalaureate degree.
            (7) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Education.
    (i) Authorization of Appropriations.--
            (1) In general.--There are authorized to be appropriated 
        $20,000,000 to carry out this Act for fiscal year 2011 and each 
        of fiscal years 2012 through 2014.
            (2) No fiscal year limitation on funding.--Funds 
        appropriated under paragraph (1) shall remain available until 
        expended.

Summary: Space to Schools Act of 2010 - Authorizes the Secretary of Education to implement a program to encourage individuals who are former employees of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), its suppliers, or related contractors who have relevant work experience in the aerospace industry to pursue careers as elementary, secondary, or vocational school teachers. Sets forth educational background requirements for program participants. Requires program participants to enter into an agreement to: (1) obtain certification or licensing as an elementary, secondary, vocational, or technical school teacher, and to become a highly qualified teacher. And (2) accept an offer of full-time employment as an elementary, secondary, vocational, or technical school teacher for at least three school years and commit to teaching science, technology, engineering, or mathematics after obtaining such certification or licensing. Directs the Secretary to provide program participants with: (1) a stipend for use in obtaining certification or licensing. Or (2) a larger bonus if they agree to perform their service in high-need schools. Requires the Secretary to establish an Advisory Board to oversee the program.