I 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 8570 
To establish a Teacher Advisory Committee and a Parents and Families 
Advisory Committee. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
OCTOBER 9, 2020 
Miss RICE of New York introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
the Committee on Education and Labor 
A BILL 
To establish a Teacher Advisory Committee and a Parents 
and Families Advisory Committee. 
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 ‘‘Teachers and Parents 
at the Table Act’’. 
SEC. 2. 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 
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that positive outcomes for all students will be maxi-
mized. 
(2) State Teachers of the Year represent a val-
uable resource with a body of expert knowledge and 
skill about instructional practice, 21st century learn-
ing, and school functioning that can be infused into 
policymaking to promote better outcomes for elemen-
tary and secondary students. 
(3) State Teachers of the Year have been se-
lected by their communities and States as models of 
their profession and represent every State in the Na-
tion and every discipline and grade level. 
(b) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary shall establish 
an advisory committee, to be known as the Teacher Advi-
sory Committee (referred to in this section as the ‘‘Com-
mittee’’). 
(c) DUTY.—The duty of the Committee shall be to 
bring the perspective of expert teachers to policymakers 
and monitor the implementation and impact of the Every 
Student Succeeds Act (Public Law 114–95). The Com-
mittee shall make policy recommendations on given sets 
of topics to improve elementary and secondary education. 
(d) MEMBERSHIP.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The membership of the 
Committee shall consist of not more than 10 teach-
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ers employed in a public elementary school and not 
more than 10 teachers employed in a public sec-
ondary 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 edu-
cational policy; 
(C) have a demonstrated history of holding 
teacher leadership roles among other teachers 
and school leaders; 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 Com-
mittee shall be appointed sequentially as follows, ex-
cept that no appointer may appoint more than two 
public elementary and two public secondary school 
teachers: 
(A) The Secretary shall appoint 4 teachers 
from the list. 
(B) The majority leader of the Senate shall 
appoint 4 teachers from the list. 
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(1) IN GENERAL.—The Committee shall submit 
to the Committee on Education and Labor of the 
House of Representatives and the Committee on 
Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Sen-
ate and the Secretary 2 reports per year on the 
monitoring carried out under subsection (c). 
(2) CONTENTS OF REPORT.—The reports sub-
mitted under paragraph (1) shall provide the per-
spective of members of the Committee, and informa-
tion collected from surveys of teachers in the net-
works represented on the Committee, on not more 
than 3 topics per year determined by the Committee 
in consultation with policymakers. Such topics might 
include— 
(A) testing and assessment; 
(B) the equitable distribution of teachers; 
(C) the diversity of the teaching workforce; 
(D) implementation and impact of the 
Every Student Succeeds Act (Public Law 114– 
95) in rural public schools; 
(E) school resource equity, including per- 
pupil expenditures of Federal, State, and local 
funds; 
(F) fostering a positive school climate 
through the implementation of evidence-based 
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practices that promote safe and supportive 
learning environments for all students; and 
(G) other topics of relevance determined by 
the Committee in consultation with policy-
makers and members of other Department 
school and family engagement fellowships (such 
as the School Ambassadors Program). 
(f) FEDERAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE ACT APPLICA-
BILITY.—The provisions of the Federal Advisory Com-
mittee Act (Public Law 92–463; 5 U.S.C. App.) shall 
apply to the Committee. 
(g) COMPENSATION.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Each member of the Com-
mittee may be compensated at not to exceed the 
daily equivalent of the annual rate of basic pay in 
effect for a position at level IV of the Executive 
Schedule under section 5315 of title 5, United 
States Code, for each day during which that member 
is engaged in the actual performance of the duties 
of the Committee. 
(2) TRAVEL
EXPENSES.—While away from 
their homes or regular places of business in the per-
formance of services for the Committees, members of 
the Committee shall be allowed travel expenses, in-
cluding per diem in lieu of subsistence, in the same 
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manner as persons employed intermittently in the 
Government service are allowed expenses under sec-
tion 5703(b) of title 5, United States Code. 
(h) ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS.—The following ad-
ditional requirements shall apply to the Committee: 
(1) The Committee shall meet in person at least 
once per year for deliberation. 
(2) The Committee shall be available for con-
sultation with officials at the Department of Edu-
cation, the Committee on Education and Labor of 
the House of Representatives, and the Committee on 
Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Sen-
ate regarding the contents of the reports submitted 
under subsection (e). 
(i) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) The term ‘‘State Teacher of the Year’’ 
means any person who has been recognized as a 
State Teacher of the Year by the Council of Chief 
State School Officers. 
(2) The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means the Secretary 
of Education. 
(j) AUTHORIZATION OF FUNDS.—Of the amounts ap-
propriated to, and available at the discretion of, the Sec-
retary for programmatic and administrative expenditures 
for fiscal years 2020 through 2024, a total of $500,000 
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shall be used to establish and carry out the functions of 
the Committee established under this section. 
SEC. 3. 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 public school and 
throughout life. 
(2) Parents and family members offer an im-
portant 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 
critical in their child’s learning and development and 
want their child to reach their fullest potential. 
(4) Parental engagement improves school cul-
ture and community well-being, as well as drive im-
provements in student outcomes. 
(b) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary shall establish 
an advisory committee, to be known as the 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 and implementation of the 
Every Student Success Act (Public Law 114–95) on chil-
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dren and families, and review and analyze implementation 
of State and local parent and family engagement policies, 
school-parent compacts, and other family engagement ac-
tivities described in section 1116 and part E of title IV 
of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 
(20 U.S.C. 6318; 20 U.S.C. 7241 et seq.). 
(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 paren-
tal involvement and family engagement in pub-
lic 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 sub-
mitting applications under paragraph (1)(B). The 
members of the Committee shall be appointed se-
quentially as follows: 
(A) The Secretary shall appoint 4 parents 
or family members from the list. 
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(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 Rep-
resentatives shall appoint 4 parents or family 
members from the list. 
(E) The minority leader of the House of 
Representatives shall appoint 4 parents or fam-
ily members from the list. 
(3) REPRESENTATION REQUIREMENT.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—The members of the 
Committee shall represent geographically di-
verse areas, including urban, suburban, and 
rural areas across the country, and a diversity 
of students, and shall include at least one par-
ent or family member representing each of the 
following student groups: 
(i) Economically disadvantaged stu-
dents. 
(ii) Students from major racial and 
ethnic groups. 
(iii) Children with disabilities. 
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(iv) English learners. 
(v) Students who are members of an 
Indian tribe or tribal organization, as de-
fined in section 4 of the Indian Self-Deter-
mination and Education Assistance Act 
(25 U.S.C. 450b). 
(vi) Students who identify as lesbian, 
gay, bisexual, and transgender youth. 
(vii) Migrant students. 
(viii) Children in foster care. 
(ix) Homeless children and youths. 
(B) SPECIAL CONSIDERATION.—Consider-
ation should also be given to representation of 
students’ gender identity, migrant status, and 
residence in rural areas in the appointment of 
members of the Committee. 
(4) ADVISORS.—If requested by the Committee, 
the Secretary may provide access to 5 research advi-
sors to the Committee, such as researchers, practi-
tioners or representatives from national nonprofit or-
ganizations with expertise in family engagement in 
education, to provide evidence-based information and 
materials. 
(5) TERM.—Each member of the Committee 
shall serve on the Committee for a 3-year term. 
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(e) ANNUAL REPORT.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Committee shall submit 
to the Committee on Education and Labor of the 
House of Representatives and the Committee on 
Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Sen-
ate and the Secretary on an annual basis a report 
and policy recommendations on the monitoring and 
analysis carried out under subsection (c). 
(2) CONTENTS OF REPORT.—The report sub-
mitted under paragraph (1) shall provide the per-
spective of parents and families on not more than 3 
topics per year determined by the Committee. Such 
topics may include the following: 
(A) The effects of the Elementary and Sec-
ondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6301 
et seq.) on parental involvement and family en-
gagement in education, including public schools 
and classrooms. 
(B) Direction for State education agencies 
and local education agencies for implementing 
written family engagement policies under sec-
tion 1116 and part E of title IV of the Elemen-
tary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 
U.S.C. 6318; 20 U.S.C. 7241 et seq.). 
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(C) Recommendations for strengthening 
family engagement policy and implementation 
in order to meet the goals of section 1116 and 
part E of title IV of the Elementary and Sec-
ondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
6318; 20 U.S.C. 7241 et seq.). 
(D) Recommendations for fostering a posi-
tive school climate that promotes safe and sup-
portive learning environments for all students, 
including the reduction of use of exclusionary 
practices and implementation of evidence-based 
approaches and interventions. 
(f) FEDERAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE ACT APPLICA-
BILITY.—The provisions of the Federal Advisory Com-
mittee Act (Public Law 92–463; 5 U.S.C. App.) shall 
apply to the Committee. 
(g) COMPENSATION.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Each member of the Com-
mittee may be compensated at not to exceed the 
daily equivalent of the annual rate of basic pay in 
effect for a position at level IV of the Executive 
Schedule under section 5315 of title 5, United 
States Code, for each day during which that member 
is engaged in the actual performance of the duties 
of the Committee. 
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(2) TRAVEL
EXPENSES.—While away from 
their homes or regular places of business in the per-
formance of services for the Committees, members of 
the Committee shall be allowed travel expenses, in-
cluding per diem in lieu of subsistence, in the same 
manner as persons employed intermittently in the 
Government service are allowed expenses under sec-
tion 5703(b) of title 5, United States Code. 
(h) ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS.—The following ad-
ditional requirements shall apply to the Committee: 
(1) The Committee shall meet in person at least 
once per year for deliberation. 
(2) The Committee shall be available for con-
sultation with officials at the Department of Edu-
cation and the Committee on Education and Labor 
of the House of Representatives and the Committee 
on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the 
Senate regarding the contents of the reports sub-
mitted under subsection (e). 
(i) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) The term ‘‘family engagement’’ means a 
shared responsibility of families and public schools 
for student success— 
(A) in which schools and community-based 
organizations are committed to reaching out to 
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engage families in meaningful ways and families 
are committed actively to support their chil-
dren’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’’ means the 
participation of parents or family members in reg-
ular, two-way, and meaningful communication in-
volving student academic learning and other public 
school activities, including ensuring— 
(A) that parents or family members play 
an integral role in assisting their child’s learn-
ing; 
(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 decision making 
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 of the 
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