I
107TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 966
To prohibit the Federal Government from planning, developing, implementing,
or administering any national teacher test or method of certification
and from withholding funds from States or local educational agencies
that fail to adopt a specific method of teacher certification.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MARCH 8, 2001
Mr. PAUL (for himself, Mr. GRAHAM, Mr. HILLEARY, Mr. TANCREDO, Mr.
SHADEGG, Mr. DOOLITTLE, Mr. BURTON of Indiana, Mr. DEMINT, and
Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas) introduced the following bill; which was re-
ferred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce
A BILL
To prohibit the Federal Government from planning, devel-
oping, implementing, or administering any national
teacher test or method of certification and from with-
holding funds from States or local educational agencies
that fail to adopt a specific method of teacher certifi-
cation.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) State and local governments have the re-
sponsibility for the training and certification of
teachers not the Federal Government.
(2) The Coalition of Independent Education As-
sociations (CIEA), which represents the majority of
the over 300,000 teachers who belong to inde-
pendent educators associations, has passed a resolu-
tion opposing the monopolization of teacher edu-
cation and certification by the National Council on
Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) or
any other federally supported organization.
(3) Many States are implementing a rigorous
framework for preparing, certifying, and recognizing
the professional growth of educators.
(4) Having the Federal Government require
States, local governments, or local educational agen-
cies to engage in any type of teacher testing or cer-
tification requires Federal oversight of what knowl-
edge is necessary to be a teacher.
(5) Giving the Federal Government power to
determine what knowledge is necessary to be a
teacher will lead to a national curriculum.
(6) National teacher testing or certification will
make teachers de facto employees of the Federal
Government.
(7) Establishment of a national curriculum will
destroy any control remaining in the American edu-
cation system and is not in the interest of either
teachers or students.
SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ON TESTING OR CERTIFICATION.
Notwithstanding any other provision of Federal law,
the Department of Education is prohibited from using
Federal funds to plan, develop, implement, or administer
any national teacher test or certification.
SEC. 3. PROHIBITION ON WITHHOLDING FUNDS.
The Department is prohibited from withholding funds
from any State or local educational agency if such State
or local educational agency fails to adopt a specific method
of teacher certification.
SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.
For purposes of this Act:
(1) The terms ‘‘teacher testing’’ and ‘‘teacher
test’’ mean any test or examination required by any
unit of government that requires passage of such
test or examination as a condition of obtaining a li-
cense to teach.
(2) The term ‘‘teacher certification’’ means any
process of education or training required by any unit
of government as a condition of obtaining a license
to teach.
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