I 
114TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6236 
To elevate the teaching profession through systemic innovations in teacher 
recruitment and retention to ensure that students, especially those from 
low-income families, are taught by excellent, well-prepared, and well- 
supported teachers, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 28, 2016 
Mrs. DAVIS of California (for herself, Mr. SCOTT of Virginia, Mr. SABLAN, 
Mr. POLIS, Ms. BONAMICI, Mr. TAKANO, Ms. ADAMS, Mr. DESAULNIER, 
Ms. WILSON of Florida, Mr. HINOJOSA, Ms. FUDGE, and Mr. GRIJALVA) 
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
Education and the Workforce 
A BILL 
To elevate the teaching profession through systemic innova-
tions in teacher recruitment and retention to ensure that 
students, especially those from low-income families, are 
taught by excellent, well-prepared, and well-supported 
teachers, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Innovations to Recruit 
and Retain Excellent Teachers Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) The rise of teacher shortages found across 
the Nation, particularly in high-needs schools and 
high-needs 
fields, 
including 
special 
education, 
STEM, and English language learners, threatens the 
ability of schools to ensure our Nation’s students are 
prepared to participate in the 21st century work-
force. 
(2) Enrollment in educator preparation pro-
grams has dropped significantly in recent years, 
jeopardizing the workforce pipeline at a time when 
a large portion of the current workforce is set to re-
tire. 
(3) High-needs schools and field experience ele-
vated levels of teacher turnover, which negatively af-
fects student achievement and school culture. 
(4) Teacher retention is often undermined by 
low wages, poor working conditions, lack of suffi-
cient resources and insufficient supports, which in-
clude mentoring, inductions, meaningful professional 
development, and career advancement opportunities. 
(5) Our Nation’s schools are experiencing a se-
vere diversity gap that negatively impacts student 
achievement and school culture—50 percent of cur-
rent students are from minority groups while only 
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18 percent of teachers are, according to a 2016 
study by the Brookings Institute. 
(6) According to a 2016 study by the Learning 
Policy Institute, America is on the brink of a teacher 
shortage crisis, propelled by a decrease of 240,000 
teachers in the last five years. The Learning Policy 
Institute predicts that, unless teacher workforce pat-
terns change, our schools will face a 100,000 teacher 
shortage annually. 
(7) High-needs schools are often served by high 
percentages of inexperienced, ineffective, and out-of- 
field teachers, which can negatively impact both 
teacher retention and student achievement. 
(8) Certain types of local educational agencies, 
including those that are rural and those that are 
high-poverty, are uniquely impacted by challenges of 
recruitment and retention, making targeted support 
to address the unique challenges faced by certain 
types of local educational agencies critical. 
(9) Structured, well-implemented career contin-
uums for teachers that include teacher leadership 
options (such as hybrid roles whereby expert teach-
ers both teach and contribute other skills such as 
mentoring) have a positive impact on teacher re-
cruitment and retention. 
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(10) Principals and other school leaders who 
are skilled in supporting teachers and teacher lead-
ership roles are critical to the success of teaching 
and learning. 
(11) Stakeholders at the Federal, State, and 
local levels must make targeted, purposeful efforts to 
address these challenges to elevate, strengthen, and 
build the capacity of the teaching profession. 
SEC. 3. PURPOSES. 
The purposes of this Act are as follows: 
(1) To transform the profession of teaching to 
ensure that every school, including high-needs 
schools, provides a rewarding, sustainable, and suc-
cessful experience for all teachers through— 
(A) strengthening recruitment of excellent 
and diverse teacher candidates; 
(B) supporting stronger teacher entry 
training and onboarding; and 
(C) 
increase 
teacher 
retention 
rates 
through the provision of high quality profes-
sional development, improved working condi-
tions, professional leadership opportunities, and 
improved compensation systems. 
(2) To study best practices for recruiting and 
retaining a diverse and excellent teacher workforce, 
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reducing beginning teacher turnover and turnover 
due to low salaries, filling teacher vacancies in high- 
need areas and in shortage subjects, providing better 
pay and additional leadership opportunities to teach-
ers, and improving working conditions and teacher 
satisfaction overall. 
SEC. 4. TEACHER SUPPORT GRANT PROGRAM. 
(a) GRANTS
TO ELIGIBLE ENTITIES; OUTLYING 
AREAS.— 
(1) COMPETITIVE
GRANTS.—For each fiscal 
year for which the total amount appropriated under 
subsections (a) and (b) of section 8 is less than or 
equal to $2,000,000,000, from the total amount ap-
propriated under such subsections, the Secretary of 
Education— 
(A) shall— 
(i) reserve one-half of 1 percent to 
award grants, on a competitive basis, to 
outlying areas to carry out the activities 
under this section, and reallocate any 
amounts not awarded under this clause to 
award grants to eligible entities under 
clause (ii); and 
(ii) award grants, on a competitive 
basis, to— 
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