THIRTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
SENATE 
S. No. 
INTRODUCED BY HON. MANUEL B. VILLAR, JR. 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The Constitution, Article 2, Section 17, provides: 
The State shall give priority to education, science and technology, arts, 
culture and sports to foster patriotism and nationalism, accelerate social progress, 
and promote total human liberation and development. 
Low salaries and the declining status of the teaching profession have reduced the quantity 
and quality of individuals entering the teaching profession. 
The government must expend efforts to address the existing and impending teacher 
shortage in the country. Bringing talented individuals into the teaching profession will greatly 
enhance the quality of our education, achieving success in aiding the traditional education of 
students. 
Hence, this bill seeks to establish national teacher academies in order to encourage and 
facilitate entry into the teaching profession. 


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THIRTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
SENATE 
S. No. 
INTRODUCED BY HON. MANUEL B. VILLAR, JR. 
AN ACT ESTABLISHING NATIONAL TEACHER ACADEMIES IN ORDER TO 
ENCOURAGE AND FACILITATE ENTRY INTO THE TEACHING PROFESSION 
Be it enacted by tlze Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled 
SECTION 1. Short title . This Act shall be known as the "Teaching Profession Act." 
SECTION 2. Program established. The following is hereby established: 
(a) IN GENERAL- The Secretary is authorized, in accordance with the provisions of this Act, to- 
make grants to eligible recipients to establish and operate national teacher academies. 
(b) SUBJECT AREAS AND STAFF- (1) One national teacher academy shall be established in 
each of the following subject areas commonly taught in elementary and secondary schools: 
(A) Basic skills and literacy instruction, 
(B) Civics and government, 
(C) National Writing Project, 
(D) Mathematics, 
(E) Foreign languages, 
(F) History, geography and sociology, 
(G) Economics, 


(H) Life sciences, 
(I) Physical sciences, and 
(J) The arts, including art, music, and the performing arts. 
(c) Academy staff shall be selected from the most accomplished and prominent scholars in the 
relevant fields of study and in the methodologies which prepare persons to teach in such fields of 
study. 
(d) DURATION OF GRANT- Each grant to establish and operate a national teacher academy 
shall be for a period of 5 years, and is renewable. 
(e) COMPETITIVE GRANT AWARDS- The Secretary shall award grants on the basis of a 
competitive bidding process. 
(0 SPECIAL CONSIDERATION- In awarding grants under this part the Secretary shall give 
special consideration to eligible recipients that have demonstrated effectiveness in establishing 
and administering a national network of individuals who assist in teacher training and in-service 
programs in the subject areas. 
SECTION 3 . Eligible recipients. The following are eligible recipients: 
(a) IN GENERAL- For the purposes of this part, the term ‘eligible recipient’ means 
(1) An institution of higher education; 
(2) A private nonprofit educational organization of demonstrated effectiveness; or 
(3) A combination of the institutions or organizations set forth in paragraphs (1) and (2) of this 
paragraph. 
(b) EXPERTISE REQUIREMENTS- The Secreta@ shall only award grants to eligible applicants 
which have demonstrated expertise in the-- 


) Subject area of the national teaching academy to be es 
(2) hi-service training of teachers. 
SECTION 3. Use of funds - 
ablished and operated and 
(a) IN GENERAL- Funds provided pursuant to this part shall be used to -- 
(1) Provide in-service training programs for teachers and administrators including -- 
(A) The study of subject matter, methodology, and teacher education, including effective 
strategies for teaching all students in mixed-ability classrooms; 
(B) The use of the most recent applied research findings concerning education and the classroom; 
and 
(C) Integrating materials from different disciplines into classroom instruction, especially for 
elementary schoolteachers; 
(2) Conduct at least one 3-week summer institute each year; 
(3) Train the leadership teams to provide in-service training for teachers in the professional 
development schools established pursuant to part B of this title; and 
(4) Provide support services to such professional development schools including- 
(A) The establishment of a national network of individuals to assist in teacher education 
programs in professional development schools; 
(B) Consulting assistance in the design and implementation of teacher education; and 
(C) Monthly newsletters or other methods of communicating useful information. 
(b) ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS- Not more than 10 percent of the amount of finds received 
under this part may be used by grant recipients for administrative costs. 
SECTION-4. Summer institute participants - 


Each year a national academy conducts a summer institute to provide teacher training programs 
to teachers and school administrators, participants from each congressional district shall include 
the leadership team described in section 13. 
SECTION 5. Application. 
(a) APPLICATION- Each eligible recipient desiring a grant under this part shall submit an 
application to the Secretary at such time and in such manner, as the Secretary may reasonably 
require. 
(b) CONTENTS- Each application submitted pursuant to subsection (a) shall -- 
(1) Describe the activities, services, and programs for which assistance is sought; 
(2) Describe how at least 70 percent of the institute's time will be devoted to basic course 
content relevant to the particular subject field and necessary for improving the quality of teaching 
in public and private elementary and secondary schools; 
(3) Describe how not more than 30 percent of the institute's time will be devoted to the 
development of methods of instruction and the planning of in-service training programs to be 
conducted by the professional development academies established in this Act; and 
(4) Provide such additional assurances or information as the Secretary may reasonably 
require. 
SECTION 6. Special rule: national writing project. 
(a) AUTHORIZATION- (1) From amounts appropriated pursuant to the authority of section 7 for 
the establishment and operation of the national teacher academy, the Secretary is authorized to 
award a grant to the National Writing Project (hereafter in this section referred to as the ' 
grantee'), a nonprofit educational organization which has as its primary purpose the improvement 
of the quality of student writing and learning, and the teaching of writing as a learning process in 
the classrooms, to establish and operate such national teacher academy. 


(2) The National Writing Project shall use the grant awarded pursuant to paragraph (1) to-- 
(A) Support and promote the establishment of teacher training programs, including the 
dissemination of effective practices and research findings regarding the teaching of writing and 
administrative activities; 
(B) Support classroom research on effective teaching practice and to document student 
perfomance; and 
(C) Pay the share of the cost of such programs. 
(b) GRANT REQUIREMENTS- The grant awarded pursuant to subsection (a) shall require that- 
(1) The grantee enter into contracts with institutions of higher education or other 
nonprofit educational providers (hereinafter referred to as 'contractors') under which the 
contractors will agree to establish, operate, and provide share of the cost of teacher training 
programs in effective approaches and processes for the teaching of writing; 
(2) Funds made available by the Secretary to the grantee pursuant to the grant awarded 
under this section will be used to pay the share of the cost of establishing and operating teacher 
training programs as provided in paragraph (1); arid these funds which shall be appropriated in 
behalf of the state college or university concerned shall be primarily used for carrying out the 
programs specified and designed under this Act. 
(3) The grantee will meet such other conditions and standards as the Secretary determines 
to be necessary to assure compliance with the provisions of this section and will provide such 
technical assistance as may be necessaiy to carry out the provisions of this section. 
(c) TEACHER, TRAINING PROGRAMS- The teacher training programs authorized in 
subsection (a) shall - 
(1) Be conducted during the school year and during the summer months; 
(2) Train teachers who teach grades kindergarten through college; 


(3) Select teachers to become members of a National Writing Project teacher network 
whose members will conduct writing worltshops for other teachers in the area served by each 
National Writing Project site; and 
(4) Encourage teachers from all disciplines to participate in such Teacher Training 
Programs. 
(d) CLASSROOM TEACHER GRANTS- (1) The National Writing Project may reserve an 
amount not to exceed 5 percent of the aniount appropriated pursuant to the authority of section 7 
for the establishment and operation of the national teacher academy to make grants, on a 
competitive basis, to elementary and secondary school teachers to enable such teachers to 
(A) Conduct classroom research; 
(B) Publish models of studept writing; 
(C) Conduct research regarding effective practices to improve the teaching of writing; and 
(D) Conduct other activities to improve the teaching and uses of writing. 
(e) NATIONAL ADVISORY BOARD- (1) The National Writing Project shall establish and 
operate a National Advisory Board. 
(2) The National Advisory Board established pursuant to paragraph (1) shall- 
(A) Advise the National Writing Project on national issues related to student writing and the 
teaching of writing; 
(B) Review the activities and programs of the National Writing Project; and 
(C) Support the continued development of the National Writing Project. 
SECTION 7. Authorization of appropriations - There are authorized to be appropriated such 
sums as may be necessary for each fiscal year to cany out the provisions of this-part. , 


SECTION 8. Professional development schools - From amounts appropriated under this Act, the 
Secretary, in coordination with the Commission of Higher Education (hereinafter referred to as 
the "commission"), shall allot necessary funds to selected State colleges or universities, in order 
to establish and operate professional development schools. 
SECTION 9. Program authorized - -- 
(a) - DURATION OF GRANT-- Each grant provided pursuant to this part to establish and 
operate a professional development school shall be for a period of 5 years, and is renewable. 
(b) GRANT AWARDS- Each grant provided pursuant to this section shall be awarded on the 
basis of a competitive bidding process, and to an eligible recipient selected on the basis of need, 
as evidenced by measures such as the rate of teacher attrition and the proportion of the student 
body at risk of educational failure. 
SECTION 10. Application. 
(a) APPLICATION- Each eligible recipient wishing to receive a grant under this part shall 
submit an application to the commission, in such manner, and containing such information as the 
commission shall reasonably require. 
(b) CONTENTS- Each application submitted pursuant to subsection (a) shall 
(1) Describe the activities, services, and programs for which assistance is sought; 
(2) Provide assurances that all public and private elementary and secondary school teachers in, 
the area served by the professional development school will be eligible to participate in the 
training programs; 
(3) Contain a description of where the professional development programs will be located and a 
justification for selecting the geographic location for each program; 


(4) Provide assurances that professional development programs will be conducted by teachers of 
demonstrated excellence, including teachers who have participated in training programs at the 
National Teacher Academies; 
( 5 )  Provide assurances that professional development programs will be developed and conducted 
with the participation of faculty from institutions of higher education or private nonprofit 
organizations of demonstrated effectiveness, and will be conducted in both academic course 
content and methods of instruction and with the participation of the schools' teachers and 
administrators; 
(6) Contain a description of how the professional development school's activities will be 
coordinated with other current in-servi ce training activities in the region; 
(7) Describe the provisions which will be made to allow individuals release time from their 
teaching or administrative responsibilities to participate in professional development school 
activities; 
(8) Contain a description of how the professional development school's activities will help 
teachers teach all students iri mixed-ability classrooms; and 
(9) Where applicable, describe how teachers and administrators from the professional 
development school will be involved in the teacher training programs at institutions of higher 
education. 
SECTION 11. Use of funds. 
(a) IN GENERAL- Grants awarded to eligible recipients pursuant to this part shall be used in a 
school or schools best able to provide services to teachers and administrators of at risk students 
to-- 
(1) Provide professional development piugraiiis for teachers which-- 


(A) Upgrade and strengthen knowledge of academic course content, particularly in the following 
subject areas: 
(i) Mathematics, 
(ii) English, reading, and language arts, 
(iii) Civics and government, 
(iv) Basic skills and-literacy instruction, 
(v) The arts, including art, music, and the performing arts, 
(vi) History, geography, and sociology, 
(vii) Economics, 
(viii) Life sciences, and 
(ix) Physical sciences, 
(B) Improve methods of instruction in content areas to 
(i) Increase the preparedness of all classroom teachers for the participation of particular 
populations of students, such as disadvantaged students, students with disabilities, students who 
are limited English proficient, and students from diverse cultural backgrounds in the classrooms 
of such- teachers; 
(ii) Improve teaching and classroom iiiaiiageiiient skills; 
(iii) Provide training in new instructional techniques, methods, and practices supported by 
educational research findings, including instructional techniques, methods and practices; and 
(iv) Improve teacher training in coiirses of study which combine one or more related subject 
areas; 


(C) Where appropriate, provide professional development programs for participants in school- 
based management programs; 
(D) Encourage teacher collaboration, especially among teachers of different subjects, including 
vocational education, physical educalion, and other specialties not described in subparagraph 
(A); 
(E) Involve experienced teachers in the training aiid assessment of novice teachers; 
(F) Encourage participation in activities of a network of professional development schools; and 
(G) Provide outreach to parents and greater involvement of parents in the education of their 
children; and 
(2) Pay the costs of release time, stipends, college or university credit, curricular materials, and 
other necessary expenditures. 
SECTION 12. Relationship with other programs funded under this act - 
If a national academy funded under this Act serves teachers within the jurisdiction of a 
professional development school assisted under this part, each such professional development 
school shall annually conduct an in-service training program in each of the course content areas 
for which teachers receive training at such national academy. Such program shall-- 
(1) Include individuals who have participated in the activities, programs and services of the 
appropriate national academy; 
(2) Contain both the academic course content aiid methods of instruction learned at such national 
academy; 
(3) Be available to all elementary and secondaiy teachers in the congressional district who teach 
the relevant subject matter; and 
(4) Provide at least 50 teachers at least 30 hours of high quality instruction per year 


SECTION 13. Leadership teams - 
(a) IN GENERAL - Each steering committee established pursuant to section 14 shall select a 3- 
person leadership team for each national teacher academy assisted under part A of this title. 
(b) COMPOSITION- Each leadership team shall be composed of-- 
(1) 1 administrator with authority to design and conduct in-service training programs; 
(2) 1 elementary school teacher; and 
(3) 1 secondary school teacher. 
(c) DUTIES - Each leadership team shall-- 
(1) Attend the appropriate subject area summer institute at the appropriate national 
teacher academy; and 
(2) Assist in the development and operation of professional development schools. 
(d) INFORMATION AND COORDINATION- Each leadership team serving a 
professional development school shall exchange information and coordinate efforts on the 
establishment of the professional development programs. 
SECTION 14. Steering committee - 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT- Each eligible recipient desiring a grant under this part shall also 
establish a 10 member steering committee. 
(b) COMPOSITION AND REPRESENTATION- (1) At least 50 percent of the membership of 
each steering committee shall be classroom teachers, selected by, and representative of, teacher 
organizations, if any. 


(2) The composition of each-steering committee shall be broadly representative of the elementary 
and secondary schools and the local educational agencies served by the professional development 
school. 
(c) FUNCTION- Each steering committee shall be to annually select the leadership teams in 
accordance with section 13; and 
SECTION 15. Separability Clause - If any provision or part hereof, is held invalid or 
unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise affected shall remain 
valid and subsisting. 
SECTION 16. Repealing Clause - Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive order, 
letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation contrary to or inconsistent with the 
provision of this Act is hereby repealed, modified or amended accordingly. 
SECTION 17. Effectivity Clause - This Act shall take effect fifteen (1 5) days after its publication 
in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved,