Title: Teachers and Parents at the Table Act
Policy area: Education

Summary:
Teachers and Parents at the Table Act
This bill amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to establish: (1) a Teacher Advisory Committee to monitor the effects of the ESEA in classrooms, and (2) a 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.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3246 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3246

    To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to 
   establish a Teacher Advisory Committee and a Parents and Families 
                          Advisory Committee.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 14, 2017

  Miss Rice of New York (for herself and Ms. Stefanik) introduced the 
 following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and 
                             the Workforce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to 
   establish a Teacher Advisory Committee and a Parents and Families 
                          Advisory Committee.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives 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.

    The Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6301 
et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 1004 (20 U.S.C. 6304) 
the following:

``SEC. 1005. 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 Teacher Advisory Committee (referred to 
in this section as the `Committee').
    ``(c) Duty.--The duty of the Committee shall be to bring the 
perspective of expert teachers to policymakers regarding the 
implementation and impact of the Every Student Succeeds Act (Public Law 
114-95) and to make policy recommendations.
    ``(d) Membership.--
            ``(1) In general.--The membership of the Committee shall 
        consist of not more than 10 teachers employed in a public 
        elementary school and not more than 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 educational 
                policy;
                    ``(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 
        sequentially 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 (such as English Language 
                Learners, high ability, et al.).
            ``(4) Term.--Each member of the Committee shall serve on 
        the Committee for a 3-year term.
    ``(e) Annual Report.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Committee shall submit to Congress 
        and the Secretary--
                    ``(A) 2 reports per year on the monitoring carried 
                out under subsection (c); and
                    ``(B) on a quarterly basis, updates on such 
                monitoring.
            ``(2) Contents of report.--The reports submitted under 
        paragraph (1) shall provide the perspective of members of the 
        Committee and surveys of teachers in the networks 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) the Every Student Succeeds Act (Public Law 
                114-95) in rural schools; and
                    ``(E) other topics of relevance determined by the 
                Committee in consultation with policymakers and members 
                of other Department school and family engagement 
                fellowships (such as the School Ambassadors Program).
    ``(f) Federal Advisory Committee Act Applicability.--The provisions 
of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (Public Law 92-463; 5 U.S.C. 
App.) shall apply to the Committee.
    ``(g) Compensation.--
            ``(1) In general.--Each member of the Committee 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 performance of services for 
        the Committees, members of the Committee shall be allowed 
        travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, in 
        the same manner as persons employed intermittently in the 
        Government service are allowed expenses under section 5703(b) 
        of title 5, United States Code.
    ``(h) 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.
            ``(2) The Committee shall be available for consultation 
        with officials at the Department and the authorizing Committees 
        of Congress regarding the contents of the reports submitted 
        under subsection (e) .
    ``(i) Definition.--In this section, 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.
    ``(j) Authorization of Funds.--Of the amounts appropriated to, and 
available at the discretion of, the Secretary for programmatic and 
administrative expenditures for fiscal years 2018 through 2022, a total 
of $500,000 shall be used to establish and carry out the functions of 
the Committee established under this section.''.

SEC. 3. PARENTS AND FAMILIES ADVISORY COMMITTEE.

    The Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6301 
et seq.), as amended by section 2 of this Act, is further amended by 
inserting after section 1005 (as added by such section 2) the 
following:

``SEC. 1006. 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 critical in their 
        child's learning and development and want their child to reach 
        their fullest potential.
    ``(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 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.
                            ``(v) Students who are members of an Indian 
                        tribe or tribal organization, as defined in 
                        section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and 
                        Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 450b).
                    ``(B) Special consideration.--Consideration 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 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 provide 
        evidence-based information and materials.
            ``(5) Term.--Each member of the Committee shall serve on 
        the Committee for a 3-year 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 provide the perspective 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 this Act on parental 
                involvement and family engagement in education, 
                including schools and classrooms.
                    ``(B) Direction for State education authorities and 
                local education authorities for implementing written 
                family engagement policies under section 1116 and part 
                E of title IV.
                    ``(C) Recommendations for strengthening family 
                engagement policy and implementation in order to meet 
                the goals of section 1116 and part E of title IV.
    ``(f) Federal Advisory Committee Act Applicability.--The provisions 
of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (Public Law 92-463; 5 U.S.C. 
App.) shall apply to the Committee.
    ``(g) Compensation.--
            ``(1) In general.--Each member of the Committee 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 performance of services for 
        the Committees, members of the Committee shall be allowed 
        travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, in 
        the same manner as persons employed intermittently in the 
        Government service are allowed expenses under section 5703(b) 
        of title 5, United States Code.
    ``(h) 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.
            ``(2) The Committee shall be available for consultation 
        with officials at the Department and the authorizing Committees 
        of Congress regarding the contents of the reports submitted 
        under subsection (e) .
    ``(i) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) The term `family engagement' means a shared 
        responsibility of families and schools for student success--
                    ``(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' means the 
        participation of parents or family members in regular, two-way, 
        and meaningful communication involving student academic 
        learning and other school activities, including ensuring--
                    ``(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.
    ``(j) Authorization of Funds.--Of the amounts appropriated to, and 
available at the discretion of, the Secretary for programmatic and 
administrative expenditures for fiscal years 2018 through 2022, a total 
of $500,000 shall be used to establish and carry out the functions of 
the Committee established under this section.''.
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