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Marking Teacher
Appreciation Week,
Education Committee Chair
Highlights House GOP Accomplishments on Behalf of Educators
WASHINGTON,
D.C. –
Marking the annual
celebration of Teacher Appreciation Week, U.S. House Education & the
Workforce Committee Chairman Howard P. “Buck” McKeon (R-CA) today highlighted
a number of teacher-related accomplishments on which House Republicans have
taken the lead this year.
“Our nation demands a great deal from our teachers, and in 2006 alone, House
Republicans have continued their tradition of taking the lead in ensuring
Congress supports them in their efforts,” said McKeon. “In order for our
young people to succeed in school and in the global marketplace, we must
provide innovative resources to recruit and retain the best teachers
possible.”
In February, Congress passed and President Bush signed
into law the Deficit Reduction Act,
legislation that made
substantial reforms to higher education programs and saved American taxpayers
billions of dollars. Included in the bill was a provision to permanently
expand loan forgiveness for teachers in high demand. In late March, the
House passed the College Access &
Opportunity Act (H.R. 609), which included even more benefits for
U.S. teachers.
Teacher benefits signed into law or passed by the House in 2006 include:
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Permanently
expanding student loan relief for high demand teachers.
Building on efforts in recent years to help states and schools recruit and
retain highly qualified teachers in key subjects, Congress has more than
tripled the amount of loan relief for highly qualified math, science, and
special education teachers who commit to teaching in high-need K-12 schools
for five years. The expanded loan relief first enacted in 2004 has been
made permanent by the Deficit Reduction
Act (P.L. 109-171), with maximum federal loan forgiveness for
such teachers increasing from $5,000 to $17,500. (Signed into law)
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Increasing the number of advanced placement teachers.
With a focus on enhancing American competitiveness through stronger math
and science education, the College
Access & Opportunity Act (H.R. 609) increases the number of
teachers in advanced placement (AP) math, science, and critical foreign
language courses, particularly for low-income students. (Passed by House)
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Recruiting well-qualified Americans to serve as adjunct teachers.
Similar to President Bush’s proposed Adjunct Teacher Corps,
the College Access & Opportunity Act
(H.R. 609) recruits professionals to serve as adjunct teachers in high
school math, science, and critical foreign language classes. (Passed by
House)
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Establishing comprehensive teacher preparation programs.
To encourage students to advance from elementary school through college
while achieving proficiency in critical foreign languages, the
College Access & Opportunity Act
(H.R. 609) strengthens teacher preparation programs for those seeking to be
foreign language instructors. (Passed by House)
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Providing even more loan relief for teachers.
The
College Access & Opportunity Act
(H.R. 609) provides up to $5,000 in student loan interest that would be
paid on behalf of individuals with degrees in science or math who serve as
teachers, as well as up to $5,000 for early childhood educators. (Passed by
House)
“America’s teachers are at the forefront of our nation’s education reform
efforts, and I’m proud of the House Republican record of support for them,”
concluded McKeon. “Educators are working hard to ensure students achieve,
and Congress ought to work just as hard to see to it that teachers have the
resources to succeed as well.”
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