Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Batasang Pambansa, Quezon City

FIFTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House BriLNo. 1784.

Authored by HON. JOSEPH VICTOR G. EJERCITO

EXPLANATORY NOTE
The Constitution, Article 2, Section 17, provided:

“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 decreasing status of teaching profession has abridged the
quantity and quality of individuals entering the teaching profession.

The Government must expand efforts to address the existing and
approaching teacher shortage in the country. Bringing the talented individuals into
teaching profession will greatly enhance the quality of our education, achieving
success in aiding the traditional education of students

Hence, this bill seeks to create a national teaching academies in order to
encourage and facilitate entry to teaching profession. Immediate approval of this
proposed measure is earnestly solicited.

ase"

JOSEPH VICTOR G. EJERCITO


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Batasang Pambansa, Quezon City

FIFTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 1781

Authored by HON. JOSEPH VICTOR G. EJERCITO

AN ACT
ESTABLISHING NATIONAL TEACHERS ACADEMIES IN
ORDER TO ENCOURAGE AND FACILITATE ENTRY INTO
TEACHING PROFESSION

Be it enacted by the 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.”

(A) In General. - The Secretary is authorized, in according with
the provisions of this Act to make grants to eligible recipients to
established and operate national teachers academies.

(B) Subject Areas and Staff. (1) One (I) 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) civic and government;
(c) national writing project;
(d) mathematics;
(e)history, geography and sociology;
(f) economics;
(g)life sciences;
(h) physical sciences; and
(i) the arts, including art, music and performing arts.
(C) Academy staff 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 fields of study.


(D) Duration of Grant. - Each grant to be establish and operate a
national teacher academy shall be for a period of five (5) years,
and is renewable

(€)Competitive Grant Awards - The Secretary shall award grants on
the basis of a competitive bidding process

(F) Special Consideration - In awarding grants under this Act 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 listed in sub section (B)

SEC. 2. Eligible Recipients.

(A) In General- For purposes of thi sAct, the term “eligible recipient”
means:

(1)An institution of higer education;

(2)A private non-profit education organization of demonstrated
effectiveness; or

(3)A combination of the institutions or organizations set forth in
paragraph (1) and (2) of this paragraph

(B)Expertise Requirements. - The Secretary shall only award grants to
eligible applicants which have demonstrated expertise in the -

(1)Subject area of the national teaching academy to be established
and operated and
(2)In-service trainirig of teachers

SEC. 3. Use of Funds
(A)In General. ~ Funds provided pursuant to this Act shall be Used to -

(1)Provide in-service training programs for teachers and
administrator 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
classrooms instruction, especially for elementary
schools teachers;

(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 establish
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 ten (10) percent of the
amount of funds received under this Act may be used by grant
reciepients for administrative costs.

SEC. 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.

SEC. 5. Application. ~

: (A)Application — Each eligible recipient desiring a grant under this Act
shall submit the 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)Described the activities, services and programs for which
assistance is sought;

(2)Describe how at least seventy (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 thirty (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.

SEC. 6. Special Rule: National Writing Project
(A) Authorization

(1)From amounts appropriated pursuant to the authority of
Section 8 for the establishment and operation of the national
teacher acaclemy, the Secretary is authorized to award a
grant to the National Writing Project (hereinafter in this
section refers to as the “grantee), a non-profit 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 performance; and

(c) Pay the share of the cost such programs.

(B) Grant Requirements - The grant awarded pursuant to subsection
(A) Shall require that -

(1)The grantee enter into contacts with institution higher
education or other non-profit educational providers
(hereunder refers to as “contractors” under which the
contractors will agree to establish, operate and provide share
of the cost of teacher training program in effective
approaches and process 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) and
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 necessary to
carry out the provisions of this section.

(C)Teachers 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 workshops 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 Teachers Grants —

(1)The National Writing Project may reserve an amount not to
exceed five (5%) percent of the amount appropriated
pursuant to the authority of Section 8 for the
establishment and operation of the national teachers
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 student 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 Writing Project 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.

SEC. 7. Authorization of Appropriations. There are authorized to be
appropriated such sums as may be necessary for each fiscal year to carry out the
provision of this part.

SEC. 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 to select state,
colleges or universities, in order to establish and operate professional development
schools.

SEC. 9. Program Authorized

(A)Duration of Grant - Each grant provided pursuant to this Act 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 competitive bidding process,
and to an eligible recipient selected on the basis on need, as
evidenced by measures such as the rate of teacher attrition and
the proportion of the student body at risk of educational failure.

SEC. 10. Application

(A)Application - each eligible recipient wishing to receive a grant
under this Act 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 Teachers Academies;

(5)Provide assurance that professional development programs
will be developed and conducted with participation of faculty
from institution of higher education or private non-profit
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
administrators;

(6)Contain a description of how the professional development
school’s activities will be coordinated with the other current
in-service 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 in
mixed-ability classrooms; and

(9)Where applicable, describe how teachers and administrators
‘from the professional development school will be involved in
the teachers training programs at institutions of higher
education.

SEC. 11. Use of Funds
(A) In General - Grants awarded to eligible recipients pursuant to this
Act shall be used a school or schools best able to provide services to
teachers and administrators of at risk student to ~
(1)Provide professional development programs for teachers which -

(a)Upgrade and strengthen knowledge of academic course
content, particularly in the following subject areas:

(j) Mathematics

(ii) English, reading and language arts;


(ili) Civics and government;
(iv) Basic skills and literacy instruction;
(v)_ the arts, including art, music and the performing arts;
(vi) history, geography and sociology;
(vil) 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 management skills;

(ili) 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 courses 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
education , and other specialties not described in
subparagraph (a);

(e) Involve experienced teachers in the training and 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 necessary expenditures.

Sec. 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 Act, each such
professional development school shall annually conduct an in-service training
program in each other course content areas for which teacher 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)contdin both academic course content methods of instruction
learned at such national academy;

(3)be available to all elementary and secondary teachers in the
congressional district who teach the relevant subject matter; and

(4)provide at least 50 teachers and 30 hours of high quality instruction
per year.

Sec. 13. Leadership Teams

(A)In General- Each steering committee established pursuant to Section 14
shall select three (3) person leadership team for each national teacher
academy assisted under this Act.

(B)Composition- Each leadership team shall be composed of-

(1)1 administrator with the authority to design and conduct in service-
training programs;

(2)1 elementary school teacher; and

(3)1 secondary school teacher

(C ) Duties- Each leadership 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.

(C) Information and coordination- Each leadership team serving a
professional development schools — shall exchange information and
coordinate efforts on the establishment of the professional development
programs.

Sec.14. Steering Committee

(A)Establishment - Each eligible recipient desiring grant under this Act shall
also established a ten (10) member steering committee.

(B)Composition and Representation

(1)At least fifty (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 annually selected
by the leadership teams in accordance with Section 14.

Sec.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.

Sec.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.

Sec.17. Effectivity Clause. This Act Shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,