Teachers and Parents at the Table Act

To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to establish a Volunteer Teacher Advisory Committee and a Volunteer Parents and Families Advisory Committee. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Teachers and Parents at the Table Act 2. Volunteer teacher advisory committee The Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 6301 et seq. 20 U.S.C. 6304 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 (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. . 3. Volunteer Parents and Families Advisory Committee The Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 6301 et seq. 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 (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 (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. .

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.