I 
111TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5399 
To establish a National Remote Teacher Corps, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 25, 2010 
Mr. SABLAN introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Education and Labor 
A BILL 
To establish a National Remote Teacher Corps, 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. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE NATIONAL REMOTE 
TEACHER CORPS. 
The Secretary of Education may establish the Na-
tional Remote Teacher Corps (in this Act referred to as 
the ‘‘Corps’’) to fill teacher vacancies, reduce class sizes, 
and improve educational quality in qualified remote areas. 
SEC. 2. DESIGNATION AS A CORPS SITE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—In order to be designated as a 
Corps site, a local educational agency or charter school 
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located in a qualified remote area shall submit an applica-
tion to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and 
containing such information as the Secretary may require. 
(b) CONTENTS.—An application submitted under 
subsection (a) shall demonstrate that the agency or char-
ter school is— 
(1) experiencing a shortage of teachers; 
(2) willing to work with the Secretary to— 
(A) promote teacher accountability and 
high standards for teachers; and 
(B) provide cooperation, support, and use 
of facilities for the programs described in sec-
tion 10; 
(3) willing to provide mentorship and profes-
sional development programs to teachers; 
(4) willing to provide compensation in accord-
ance with section 8(a) for each Corps participant 
placed with the agency or school under the Corps; 
and 
(5) willing to— 
(A) work with the Secretary under section 
9 to develop and implement an alternative cer-
tification route for individuals selected to be 
Corps participants; or 
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(B) allow such individuals to participate in 
an existing alternative certification program 
that is in compliance with any requirements 
prescribed by the Secretary. 
SEC. 3. RECRUITMENT. 
The Secretary may— 
(1) conduct recruiting programs for the Corps 
at institutions of higher education, including institu-
tions that offer majors in the fields of education, 
science, technology, engineering, or mathematics; 
and 
(2) recruit current highly qualified elementary 
school or secondary school teachers. 
SEC. 4. APPLICATION; SELECTION CRITERIA; PRIORITY. 
(a) APPLICATION.—Selection of individuals to par-
ticipate in the Corps shall be made on the basis of applica-
tions submitted to the Secretary at such time, in such 
manner, and containing such information as the Secretary 
may require. 
(b) SELECTION CRITERIA.—An individual selected to 
participate in the Corps shall— 
(1) have at least a bachelor’s degree from an 
institution of higher education; and 
(2) comply with such other criteria as the Sec-
retary may prescribe. 
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(c) PRIORITY.—In selecting individuals to participate 
in the Corps, the Secretary shall give priority to individ-
uals— 
(1) with at least a master’s degree in education 
(such as special education or teaching English as a 
second language), science, technology, engineering, 
or mathematics and who agree to seek employment 
as science, technology, engineering, mathematics, 
special education, or English as a second language 
teachers in elementary schools or secondary schools; 
or 
(2) who are highly qualified teachers with— 
(A) 10 or more years of experience teach-
ing students in elementary school or secondary 
school; or 
(B) equivalent qualifications and experi-
ence, as determined by the Secretary. 
SEC. 5. COMPENSATION FOR APPLICANTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may reimburse an 
individual applying to participate in the Corps for the ac-
tual and reasonable expenses incurred— 
(1) in traveling to and from the individual’s 
place of residence to a Corps site at which the indi-
vidual may be placed under section 6 for the purpose 
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of evaluating such site with regard to being assigned 
at such site; and 
(2) for the travel of 1 family member to accom-
pany the individual to such site. 
(b) MAXIMUM AMOUNT.—The Secretary may estab-
lish a maximum total amount that may be paid to an indi-
vidual as reimbursement for such expenses. 
SEC. 6. PLACEMENT OF CORPS PARTICIPANTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall place each in-
dividual selected to be a Corps participant with a local 
educational agency or charter school that is designated as 
a Corps site. 
(b) CONSIDERATIONS.—In placing a Corps partici-
pant at a Corps site, the Secretary shall take into ac-
count— 
(1) the preference of the Corps participant; 
(2) the preferences of local educational agencies 
and charter schools that are Corps sites; and 
(3) the relative need among Corps sites with re-
spect to teacher shortages, including— 
(A) the total number of open teaching po-
sitions; 
(B) the number of teachers needed for 
class size reductions; and 
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(C) the shortage of teachers with a par-
ticular subject-matter expertise. 
SEC. 7. PARTICIPATION AGREEMENT. 
(a) PARTICIPATION AGREEMENT.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—An individual selected to 
participate in the Corps shall be required to enter 
into an agreement with the Secretary under which 
the individual agrees— 
(A) within such time as the Secretary may 
require, to obtain certification or licensing as an 
elementary school teacher or secondary school 
teacher under section 9 or through another pro-
cedure approved by the Secretary; and 
(B) to accept an offer of full-time employ-
ment as an elementary school teacher or sec-
ondary school teacher for not less than 3 school 
years with a local educational agency or charter 
school that is a Corps site. 
(2) WAIVER.—The Secretary may waive the 3- 
year commitment described in paragraph (1)(B), or 
any other requirement under a participation agree-
ment described in paragraph (1), for a participant 
if the Secretary determines such waiver to be appro-
priate. If the Secretary provides the waiver to a par-
ticipant, the participant— 
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(A) shall not be considered to be in viola-
tion of the agreement; and 
(B) shall not be required to provide reim-
bursement for any funds received as a Corps 
participant. 
(b) AGREEMENT RENEWAL.—Upon completion of the 
3-year commitment described in subsection (a)(1)(B), a 
Corp participant’s participation agreement may be re-
newed in 1-year increments. 
SEC. 8. COMPENSATION FOR CORPS PARTICIPANTS. 
(a) SALARY.—A Corps participant shall be considered 
an employee of the local educational agency or charter 
school in which the participant is employed under the 
Corps and shall be compensated at the same rates, includ-
ing periodic increases, as employees who are similarly situ-
ated in similar teaching positions and who have similar 
training, experience, and skills, and such rates shall be 
in accordance with applicable law. 
(b) FEDERAL BENEFITS.— 
(1) SUPPLEMENT, NOT SUPPLANT.—Any Fed-
eral funds a Corps participant receives from the Sec-
retary under this section or section 5 shall supple-
ment, not supplant, the compensation the partici-
pant receives under subsection (a) of this section. 
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(2) TRAVEL STIPENDS.—The Secretary may re-
imburse each Corps participant for all or part of the 
actual and reasonable expenses incurred by the par-
ticipant and 1 family member when traveling, not 
more than once per year of participation, from the 
Corps site to any location in the continental United 
States and from such location back to the Corps 
site. 
(3) CASH BONUS.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary may 
award annual or one-time cash bonuses to 
Corps participants, in amounts determined by 
the Secretary. 
(B) PRIORITY.—In awarding cash bonuses 
under subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall 
give priority to Corps participants— 
(i) with at least a master’s degree in 
education (such as special education or 
teaching English as a second language), 
science, technology, engineering, or mathe-
matics and who are participating in the 
Corps as science, technology, engineering, 
mathematics, special education, or English 
as a second language teachers in elemen-
tary schools or secondary schools; or 
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(ii) who are highly qualified teachers 
with— 
(I) 10 or more years of experi-
ence teaching students in elementary 
school or secondary school; or 
(II) equivalent qualifications and 
experience, as determined by the Sec-
retary. 
(C) TREATMENT OF CASH BONUS.—A cash 
bonus paid under subparagraph (A) to a Corps 
participant shall not be taken into account in 
determining the eligibility of the participant for 
Federal student financial assistance provided 
under title IV of the Higher Education Act of 
1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070). 
SEC. 9. ALTERNATIVE CERTIFICATION ROUTE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subject to subsection (d), the Sec-
retary and each Corps site shall, jointly, develop and im-
plement a high-quality alternative certification route for 
individuals selected to participate in the Corps who are 
not certified teachers. 
(b) PRIORITY.—In selecting individuals described in 
subsection (a) to participate in the alternative certification 
route, the Secretary shall give priority to individuals— 
(1) who do not have a degree in education; and 
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(2) who have expertise in a field in which there 
is a shortage of teachers, such as mathematics, 
science, special education, English language acquisi-
tion, or another high-need subject. 
(c) ACCESS.—All classes and materials available 
under the alternative certification route shall be accessible 
to all Corps participants. 
(d) EXCEPTION.—A Corps site that has an existing 
alternative certification program that complies with any 
requirements prescribed by the Secretary, may, in lieu of 
developing and implementing an alternative certification 
route under subsection (a), allow individuals described in 
subsection (a) participate in such program. 
SEC. 10. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND DISTANCE 
LEARNING. 
(a) 
DEVELOPMENT
OF
PROGRAM.—From 
the 
amounts appropriated to carry out this subsection under 
section 12, the Secretary, in consultation with at least 1 
institution of higher education that is a research univer-
sity, as determined by the Secretary, shall develop a pro-
fessional development and distance-learning certificate or 
degree program that offers academic credit through— 
(1) online classes; 
(2) classes through video- or tele-conference 
technology; 
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(3) independent study; 
(4) in-person instruction at Corps sites; and 
(5) other distance learning methodologies as the 
Secretary designates, 
to assist individuals located in qualified remote areas in 
becoming highly qualified teachers. 
(b) GRANTS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—From the amounts appro-
priated to carry out this subsection under section 
12, the Secretary shall award grants to institutions 
of higher education that offer the program developed 
under subsection (a) to students enrolled at the in-
stitution. 
(2) USES OF FUNDS.—An institution of higher 
education that receives a grant under this subsection 
shall use such grant funds to cover— 
(A) the cost of administering the program 
developed under subsection (a); and 
(B) to the maximum extent practicable, 
the total cost of program tuition for teachers at 
Corps sites enrolled in the program at the insti-
tution. 
(3) APPLICATION.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—To receive a grant 
under this subsection, an institution of higher 
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education shall submit to the Secretary an ap-
plication at such time, in such manner, and 
containing such information as the Secretary 
may require. 
(B) ARTICULATION AGREEMENTS.—An ap-
plication submitted under subparagraph (A) 
shall include an assurance by the institution 
that the institution will include the program in 
its articulation agreements between or among 
other institutions of higher education. 
SEC. 11. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Except as otherwise pro-
vided, any term that is defined in section 9101 of 
the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 
1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801) shall have the meaning given 
such term in such section. 
(2) ARTICULATION
AGREEMENT.—The term 
‘‘articulation agreement’’ has the meaning given 
such term in section 486A of the Higher Education 
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1093a). 
(3) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.—The 
term ‘‘institution of higher education’’ has the 
meaning given such term in section 101 of the High-
er Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001). 
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(4) QUALIFIED
REMOTE
AREA.—The term 
‘‘qualified remote area’’ means an area— 
(A) from which an institution of higher 
education is located more than 3 hours away 
when using public or private transportation (in-
cluding rail or bus); 
(B) to which the only method of access to 
the site at least 6 months of the year is by boat 
or airplane; or 
(C) that is located in a United States Ter-
ritory. 
(5) UNITED
STATES
TERRITORY.—The term 
‘‘United States Territory’’ means the United States 
Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Com-
monwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and 
Puerto Rico. 
SEC. 12. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
There are authorized to be appropriated such sums 
as may be necessary to carry out this Act. 
Æ 
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