U.S.
Senator Member of the Agriculture, Energy and Veterans Affairs
Committees |
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For Immediate
Release May 16, 2005 |
CONTACT: Cody Wertz – Press Secretary 202-228-3630 Jen Clanahan – Deputy Press Secretary 303-455-7600 |
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SEN.
SALAZAR FIGHTS TO RETAIN TEACHERS FOR RURAL SCHOOLS Senator Salazar said, “Schoolchildren across Senator Salazar’s Rural Teacher Retention Act of 2005 would create a five-year, $50 million grant program for rural school districts (those receiving funding under the Rural Education Achievement Program, or REAP) with a turnover rate higher than five percent. The funds would be used by rural school districts to provide signing bonuses of up to $2,000 to new teachers and retention bonuses of up to $3,000 for teachers in their third, fourth or fifth years who work at least three years in a row. “When teachers leave, our students and schools suffer. This
grant program is an important first step towards making sure that the more
than 100,000 students being taught by an estimated 15,000 teachers in Senator Salazar’s proposal comes after months of work with
Senator Salazar is also an original cosponsor of Senator Dodd’s No Child Left Behind Reform Act (NCLBRA), S. 724. Among the key components of the NCLBRA would be to allow states to create one assessment test to cover several subjects for middle grade level teachers. This would relieve pressure on rural teachers to be certified in every subject area they teach, a current requirement under federal law. Many rural teachers teach two and three subjects due to teacher shortages in rural school districts. It would also allow school flexibility in the way they measure yearly annual progress and allow districts to target school choice and supplemental services to the students that actually demonstrate a need for them rather than to all students across the board. # # # |
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