Q: In this task, you are given text for US Congressional and California state bills, your task is to generate a summary for this bill.
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ''Teachers for the 21st Century Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

Congress finds the following:
(1) The dawn of the 21st century will place increased
demands upon our Nation's students that can only be met with
the proper instruction from qualified, experienced, and well-
trained teachers. The teachers of the 21st century must not
only be well-versed in increasingly complex subject matters and
technologies, but also highly trained in the best techniques to
impart these skills to their students.
(2) Teacher development resources are severely lacking in
the majority of school districts across the Nation, leaving
many teachers ill-prepared to meet the growing, modern
challenges of educating children in the age of a global
workforce. Spending less than 3 percent of their resources on
teacher development, many American schools have fallen far
behind the curve of most corporations and schools in other
industrialized nations.
(3) Over the next 10 years, the Nation will face a
tremendous demand for 2,000,000 additional teachers resulting
from increased student enrollments and teacher attrition, which
will place many school districts in the precarious position of
choosing between quantity and quality. Already, the National
Commission on Teaching and America's Future has reported that
50,000 unqualified teachers have been hired annually on
emergency or substandard licenses to meet this growing demand.
(4) Teacher shortages will unevenly impact high-need urban
and rural communities that have the most difficulty attracting
and retaining qualified teachers. The National Center for
Education Statistics reports that 39 percent of teachers in
these communities have neither a college major or minor in
their primary field of coursework.

SEC. 3. PURPOSES.

The purposes of this Act are to establish or expand 10 National
Teachers Academies, one in each of the 10 regions established by the
Department of Education and serving at least 1 high-need local
education agency. The Academies will establish models for local
educational agencies to improve teaching and learning by meeting the
21st century challenges of recruiting and retaining qualified teachers,
and giving teachers the tools they need to prepare their students for
competition in a global workforce by--
(1) assembling a team of ''master'' teachers to mentor and
train student teachers on how to provide quality instruction;
(2) increasing the pool of ''master'' teachers by
partnering with education institutions that offer a range of
professional development opportunities including seminars,
institutes, or mini-research sabbaticals focused on the
knowledge and skills required in the 21st century;
(3) providing 1 or more demonstration sites for research-
based ''best practices'' in increasing student achievement,
classroom management and instruction, teacher mentoring,
training, and professional staff development;
(4) increasing collaboration between elementary, secondary,
and university faculty to improve the intensity and quality of
clinical experiences for prospective teachers;
(5) working with the regional national educational labs to
provide information obtained throughout the research and
development process to the Secretary for dissemination to
school districts across the Nation;
(6) entering into a partnership between local educational
agencies, State educational agencies, institutions of higher
education, education foundations, professional development and
recruitment centers, parent groups, corporations, and community
organizations;
(7) providing an opportunity for mid-career professionals
to obtain alternative teaching certification;
(8) offering ongoing professional development opportunities
and support and providing opportunities for teachers to engage
in research on specific issues of teaching and learning, and
developing test curriculum, instruction, and assessment; and
(9) providing students from disadvantaged communities with
challenging curriculum, quality instruction, and an overall
outstanding elementary and secondary education experience.

SEC. 4. PROGRAM AUTHORIZATION.

(a) In General.--The Secretary is authorized to provide grants to
not more than 10 high-need local educational agencies or eligible
consortium, one in each of the 10 regions established by the Department
of Education, to establish or expand National Teachers Academies.
(b) National Teachers Academy.--Each National Teachers Academy
shall promote teacher training, professional development and
recruitment, and curriculum development.

SEC. 5. GRANT AWARDS AND RENEWALS.

(a) In General.--To be eligible to receive a grant award under this
Act, a high-need local educational agency or eligible consortium
shall--
(1) submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in
such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary
may reasonably require;
(2) describe how the agency--
(A) will recruit and hire a team of ''master''
teachers to mentor and train student teachers regarding
the provision of quality instruction in high-need urban
and rural areas;
(B) will increase the pool of ''master'' teachers
by partnering with education institutions that offer a
range of professional development opportunities
including seminars, institutes, or mini-research
sabbaticals focused on the knowledge and skills
required in the 21st century;
(C) serve as a demonstration site for ''best
practices'' in classroom management and instruction,
teacher mentoring, training, and professional staff
development;
(D) increase collaboration between elementary,
secondary, and university faculty to improve the
intensity and quality of clinical experiences for
prospective teachers;
(E) make available knowledge obtained throughout
the research and development process to school
districts across the Nation;
(F) establish a consortium between local
educational agencies, State educational agencies,
institutions of higher education, education
foundations, professional development and recruitment
centers, parent groups, corporations, or community
organizations;
(G) provide an opportunity for mid-career
professionals to obtain alternative teaching
certification; and
(H) offer ongoing professional development
opportunities and support and provide opportunities for
teachers to engage in action research on specific
issues of teaching and learning, and develop test
curriculum, instruction, and assessment; and
(2) provide an assurance that, either directly or through
private contributions, the agency will provide non-Federal
matching funds equal to not less than 25 percent of the amount
of the award for the first 2 years, 35 percent for the 3d and
4th years, and 50 percent for the 5th year.
(b) Renewal.--The Secretary may award each grant for a period not
to exceed 5 years. These awards may be renewed annually on a
noncompetitive basis if the Secretary determines that--
(1) the goals set forth in the application for the initial
grant request have been achieved;
(2) there is promise of continuing progress;
(3) the non-Federal share of project costs have been met;
and
(4) a plan has been developed for continuing the Academy
after Federal funding is no longer available.

SEC. 6. USE OF FUNDS.

(a) Permitted Uses.--A high-need local educational agency or
eligible consortium that receives a grant award under this Act shall
use funds to establish or expand a National Teachers Academy in new or
existing school facilities and to meet the operating costs of
establishing such Academy, which may include--
(1) reasonable startup and initial operating costs;
(2) training costs related to staff development;
(3) the costs to purchase books, materials and other
equipment, including new technology;
(4) payment of personnel directly related to the operation
of the Academy;
(5) recruitment costs including scholarship incentives;
(6) participation in the activities of the consortium; and
(7) any costs related to the construction, remodeling, or
renovation of the facilities to house each National Teachers
Academy.
(b) Limitations.--The Secretary may limit the amounts of funds that
may be used for remodeling and construction costs as such costs relate
to the creation or expansion of each National Teachers Academy.

SEC. 7. DEFINITIONS.

For the purposes of this Act:
(1) The term ''high-need local educational agency'' means a
local educational agency that serves an elementary or secondary
school located in an area in which there is--
(A) a high percentage of individuals from families
with incomes below the poverty line as defined by the
Office of Management and Budget, and revised annually
in accordance with section 673(2) of the Community
Services Block Grant Act (42 U.S.C. 9902(2)) applicable
to a family of the size involved;
(B) a high percentage of secondary school teachers
who have neither a college major or minor in their
primary field of coursework; or
(C) a high teacher turnover rate.
(2) The term ''National Teachers Academy'' means a teacher
training and professional development program conducted in at
least one elementary or secondary school that provides
prospective and novice teachers an opportunity to work under
the mentorship of master teachers in a laboratory-style
setting, and provides professional development opportunities
for veteran teachers and curriculum development services.
(3) The term ''local educational agency'' has the same
meaning given such term in section 14101 of the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 8801).
(4) The term ''master teacher'' means a teacher of
exceptional expertise and accomplishment who meets high
standards as defined by State law, the National Board for
Professional Teaching Standards, or the local educational
agency in its application for a grant under this Act.
(5) The term ''eligible consortium'' means a consortium of
one or more high-need local educational agencies and one or
more institutions of higher education.

SEC. 8. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act
$75,000,000 for fiscal years 2000 and 2001, and $50,000,000 for each of
fiscal years 2002, 2003, and 2004.
A:
Teachers for the 21st Century Act - Authorizes the Secretary of Education to provide grants to up to ten high-need local educational agencies or eligible consortium, one in each of the ten regions established by the Department of Education, to establish or expand National Teachers Academies.
Requires each Academy to promote teacher training, professional development and recruitment, and curriculum development.
Sets forth eligibility requirements for grant awards and renewals. Lists permitted uses of grant funds.
Authorizes appropriations.