Title: Teachers are Leaders Act of 2019
Policy area: Education

Summary:
Teachers Are Leaders Act of 2019
This bill reauthorizes through FY2025 and revises the Teacher Quality Partnership Grant Program, including by replacing a school leadership grant program with a teacher leader development program. The new program awards grants for the professional development of teachers who remain in the classroom while also carrying out formalized leadership responsibilities.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3108 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3108

  To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide for a teacher 
          leader development program, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              June 5, 2019

 Mr. Schneider (for himself, Mr. Thompson of Pennsylvania, Mr. Trone, 
   Mr. Fleischmann, Ms. Underwood, and Mr. Grothman) introduced the 
 following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and 
                                 Labor

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide for a teacher 
          leader development program, and for other purposes.

    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 are Leaders Act of 2019''.

SEC. 2. TEACHER LEADER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--Subsection (f) of section 202 of the Higher 
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1022a) is amended to read as follows:
    ``(f) Teacher Leader Development Program.--
            ``(1) In general.--A teacher leader development program 
        carried out with a grant awarded under this section shall 
        involve the professional development of teachers, as described 
        in paragraph (2), who maintain their roles as classroom 
        teachers and who also carry out formalized leadership 
        responsibilities to increase the academic achievement of 
        students and promote data-driven instructional practices that 
        address the demonstrated needs at the elementary schools and 
        secondary schools in which the teachers are employed, such as--
                    ``(A) development of curriculum and curricular 
                resources;
                    ``(B) facilitating the work of committees and 
                teams;
                    ``(C) family and community engagement;
                    ``(D) school discipline and culture;
                    ``(E) peer observations and coaching; or
                    ``(F) dual enrollment instruction.
            ``(2) Professional development.--The professional 
        development of teachers in a teacher leader development program 
        carried out with a grant awarded under this section shall 
        include--
                    ``(A) one year of professional development, 
                training, and support that may--
                            ``(i) include--
                                    ``(I) the engagement of teachers in 
                                rigorous coursework and fieldwork 
                                relevant to their role as a teacher 
                                leader, including available teacher 
                                leader standards; and
                                    ``(II) regular observations and 
                                professional support from--
                                            ``(aa) a principal, vice 
                                        principal, or a designated 
                                        instructional leader of the 
                                        school;
                                            ``(bb) a representative 
                                        from the institution of higher 
                                        education that is a partner in 
                                        the eligible partnership;
                                            ``(cc) a representative 
                                        from another entity that is a 
                                        partner in the eligible 
                                        partnership; and
                                            ``(dd) another member of 
                                        the teacher leader cohort, if 
                                        applicable, or a peer teacher; 
                                        and
                            ``(ii) result in the awarding of a 
                        credential in teacher leadership; and
                    ``(B) one or 2 additional years of support from a 
                principal, vice principal, or a designated 
                instructional leader of the school, a representative 
                from the institution of higher education that is a 
                partner in the eligible partnership, and a 
                representative from another entity that is a partner in 
                the eligible partnership.
            ``(3) Teacher leader development program plan.--In carrying 
        out a teacher leader development program under this section, an 
        eligible partnership shall develop a plan that shall describe--
                    ``(A) how the work hours of teacher leaders will be 
                allocated between their classroom responsibilities and 
                responsibilities as a teacher leader, which may include 
                a description of whether the teacher leader will be 
                relieved from teaching duties during their 
                participation in the teacher leader development 
                program;
                    ``(B) how the partnership will support teacher 
                leaders after the first year of professional 
                development in the program; and
                    ``(C) how teacher leader activities could be 
                sustained by the eligible partnership after the program 
                concludes, which may include a description of 
                opportunities for the teacher leaders to assist in the 
                educator preparation program at the institution of 
                higher education in the partnership.
            ``(4) Selection of teacher leaders; use of funds.--In 
        carrying out a teacher leader development program under this 
        section, an eligible partnership--
                    ``(A) shall select a teacher for participation in 
                the program--
                            ``(i) who--
                                    ``(I) is fully certified to teach 
                                in the State of the high-need local 
                                educational agency that is a partner in 
                                the eligible partnership;
                                    ``(II) is employed by such high-
                                need local educational agency;
                                    ``(III) has not less than 3 years 
                                of teaching experience; and
                                    ``(IV) submits an application for 
                                participation to the eligible 
                                partnership; and
                            ``(ii) based on selection criteria that 
                        includes--
                                    ``(I) demonstration of strong 
                                content knowledge or a record of 
                                accomplishment in the field or subject 
                                area the teacher will support as a 
                                teacher leader; and
                                    ``(II) demonstration of attributes 
                                linked to effective teaching that is 
                                determined through interviews, 
                                observations, artifacts, student 
                                achievement, or performance 
                                assessments, such as those leading to 
                                an advanced credential;
                    ``(B) may develop admissions goals and priorities 
                for the teacher leader development program that--
                            ``(i) are aligned with the demonstrated 
                        needs of the school or high-need local 
                        educational agency in which the teacher is 
                        employed;
                            ``(ii) considers cultural competencies that 
                        would make the applicant effective in the 
                        applicant's teacher leader role; and
                            ``(iii) considers whether the teacher has 
                        substantial teaching experience in the school 
                        in which the teacher is employed or in a school 
                        that is similar to the school in which the 
                        teacher is employed;
                    ``(C) shall use the grant funds to pay for costs of 
                training and supporting teacher leaders for not less 
                than 2 years and not more than 3 years;
                    ``(D) may use the grant funds to pay for a portion 
                of a stipend for teacher leaders if such grant funds 
                are matched by additional non-Federal public or private 
                funds as follows:
                            ``(i) during each of the first and second 
                        years of the grant period, grant funds may pay 
                        not more than 50 percent of such stipend; and
                            ``(ii) during the third year of the grant 
                        period, grant funds may pay not more than 33 
                        percent of such stipend; and
                    ``(E) may require teacher leaders to pay back the 
                cost of attaining the credential described in paragraph 
                (2)(A)(ii) if they do not complete their term of 
                service in the teacher leader development program.
            ``(5) Teacher leader defined.--In this subsection, the term 
        `teacher leader' means a highly effective educator who carries 
        out formalized leadership responsibilities based on the 
        demonstrated needs of the elementary school or secondary school 
        in which the teacher is employed, while maintaining a role as a 
        classroom instructor who--
                    ``(A) is trained in and practices teacher 
                leadership; and
                    ``(B) fosters a collaborative culture to--
                            ``(i) support educator development, 
                        effectiveness, and student learning;
                            ``(ii) support access and use research to 
                        improve practice and student learning;
                            ``(iii) promote professional learning for 
                        continuous improvement;
                            ``(iv) facilitate improvements in 
                        instruction and student learning; promote the 
                        appropriate use of assessments and data for 
                        school and district improvement;
                            ``(v) improve outreach and collaboration 
                        with families and community;
                            ``(vi) advance the profession by shaping 
                        and implementing policy; and
                            ``(vii) advocate for increased access to 
                        great teaching and learning for all 
                        students.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendment.--Section 202(c)(2) of the Higher 
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1022a) is amended by striking 
``leadership development program'' and inserting ``teacher leader 
development program''.
    (c) Authorization of Appropriations.--Section 209 of the Higher 
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1022h) is amended by striking ``for 
fiscal year 2009 and such sums as may be necessary for each of the two 
succeeding fiscal years'' and inserting ``for fiscal year 2019 and such 
sums as may be necessary for each of the 5 succeeding fiscal years''.
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