Teachers LEAD Act of 2023

I 118TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 3143 To direct the Secretary of Education to award grants to eligible entities to carry out teacher leadership programs, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES MAY 9, 2023 Mr. GALLEGO (for himself and Mrs. HAYES) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce A BILL To direct the Secretary of Education to award grants to eligible entities to carry out teacher leadership programs, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Teachers Leading, 4 Educating, Advancing, and Designing Act of 2023’’ or the 5 ‘‘Teachers LEAD Act of 2023’’. 6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 7 Congress finds the following: 8 (1) Decades of research have shown that teach- 9 ers are the single most important school-based factor 10 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:09 May 20, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3143.IH H3143 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 2 •HR 3143 IH in student achievement, and an analysis by the 1 Brookings Institution indicates that a high level of 2 teacher turnover is negatively associated with stu- 3 dent achievement, and is higher in urban schools 4 and schools with more economically disadvantaged 5 students. 6 (2) A report by the National Commission on 7 Teaching and America’s Future estimated that dis- 8 tricts spend between $10,000 and $17,000 for each 9 teacher who leaves the district, making teacher turn- 10 over and attrition a costly issue for school systems. 11 (3) The United States education system is ex- 12 periencing an ongoing teacher recruitment, reten- 13 tion, and shortage crisis. According to a National 14 Education Association survey in January of 2022, 15 55 percent of all teachers, 62 percent of Black 16 teachers, and 59 percent of Hispanic or Latino edu- 17 cators said they were more likely to retire early or 18 leave the profession. 19 (4) In the same survey, 74 percent of teachers 20 report having to fill in for colleagues or take on 21 other duties due to staff shortages, while 90 percent 22 of respondents pointed out that teacher burnout is 23 becoming a very serious issue. As a Nation, we face 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:09 May 20, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3143.IH H3143 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 3 •HR 3143 IH the possibilities of vacancies and educator burnout 1 being exacerbated by educator shortages. 2 (5) An analysis by the Economic Policy Insti- 3 tute of teacher turnover data suggests that low sala- 4 ries, lack of professional development opportunities, 5 and a difficult school climate, including lack of 6 teacher input into school policy, are common factors 7 behind teachers leaving the workforce. 8 (6) According to data from the National Center 9 for Education Statistics, racially and ethnically di- 10 verse teachers are more likely to work in high-need 11 schools. Unfortunately, these schools often experi- 12 ence high teacher turnover rates, which can have a 13 negative impact on students. 14 (7) According to a report by Teach Plus and 15 the Education Trust, teachers of color report that 16 they have considered leaving the profession because 17 they lack agency, autonomy in decision making, and 18 opportunities for leadership. 19 (8) Studies show that all students benefit from 20 having racially and ethnically diverse teachers. These 21 benefits are magnified for students of color, who ex- 22 perience improved academic performance, higher 23 graduation rates, and increased interest in pursuing 24 higher education. 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:09 May 20, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3143.IH H3143 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 4 •HR 3143 IH (9) Teachers of color are also underrepresented 1 in schools, with only 20 percent of the teacher work- 2 force identifying as people of color versus over 50 3 percent of public school students. 4 (10) Studies show that there is a positive link 5 between professional leadership opportunities, job 6 satisfaction, and retention of classroom teachers, 7 and that compensation for teachers’ added leader- 8 ship responsibilities increases teacher retention. 9 (11) In a Gates Foundation Survey, only 12 10 percent of all teachers surveyed reported receiving 11 consistent job-embedded mentorship and professional 12 development from veteran teachers, despite multiple 13 studies showing that consistent mentorship improves 14 student learning. 15 (12) The New Teacher Project found that only 16 26 percent of high-performing teachers agreed that 17 their school leadership identified opportunities or 18 clear paths for teacher leadership roles. 19 (13) According to a report by Teach Plus and 20 the Education Trust, teachers’ investment in their 21 schools and their likelihood of retention is greater 22 where opportunities exist to innovate and advocate 23 on behalf of students, especially when a teacher acts 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:09 May 20, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3143.IH H3143 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 5 •HR 3143 IH in partnership with school and district administra- 1 tion to address student and teacher needs. 2 (14) Structured leadership programs are an ef- 3 fective way to help combat the nationwide teacher 4 shortage and improve teacher retention by empow- 5 ering teachers and establishing formal peer 6 mentorships between effective and experienced teach- 7 ers and those just entering the profession, which 8 also leads to academic and socio-emotional benefits 9 for students. 10 (15) Federal policies are needed to encourage 11 and fund the establishment of structured leadership 12 programs at public schools, especially in high-need 13 schools and school districts. 14 SEC. 3. TEACHER LEADERSHIP GRANT PROGRAM. 15 (a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 16 (1) ESEA TERMS.—The terms ‘‘educational 17 service agency’’, ‘‘elementary school’’, ‘‘local edu- 18 cational agency’’, ‘‘paraprofessional’’, ‘‘school lead- 19 er’’, ‘‘secondary school’’, and ‘‘Secretary’’ have the 20 meanings given such terms in section 8101 of the 21 Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 22 (20 U.S.C. 7801). 23 (2) DISTRIBUTED LEADERSHIP.—The term 24 ‘‘distributed leadership’’ means a range of ap- 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:09 May 20, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3143.IH H3143 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 6 •HR 3143 IH proaches wherein the school leadership shares as- 1 pects of the traditional set of school decisions, orga- 2 nization, management, and operations with teachers 3 in a manner that is coordinated by, agreed to, and 4 led by the teachers and school leadership. 5 (3) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘‘eligible enti- 6 ty’’ means— 7 (A) a local educational agency or edu- 8 cational service agency; 9 (B) a consortium of local educational agen- 10 cies or educational service agencies; or 11 (C) a partnership between a local edu- 12 cational agency or educational service agency 13 and— 14 (i) a nonprofit organization with dem- 15 onstrated expertise in teacher leadership 16 programs, as determined by the Secretary; 17 (ii) a State educational agency in the 18 same State as the local educational agency 19 or educational service agency with dem- 20 onstrated capacity in supporting teacher 21 leadership programs, as determined by the 22 Secretary; 23 (iii) an institution of higher education 24 (as defined in section 101 of the Higher 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:09 May 20, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3143.IH H3143 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 7 •HR 3143 IH Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001)) 1 that awards postsecondary teacher certifi- 2 cates or degrees and has a demonstrated 3 capacity in supporting teacher leadership 4 programs or teacher diversity, as deter- 5 mined by the Secretary; 6 (iv) a Minority-Serving Institution, 7 Tribal College or University, or Histori- 8 cally Black College or University; or 9 (v) an Indian Tribe. 10 (4) HIGH-NEED EDUCATIONAL SERVICE AGEN- 11 CY.—The term ‘‘high-need educational service agen- 12 cy’’ means an educational service agency that serves 13 a significant number or percentage of high-need 14 local educational agencies. 15 (5) HIGH-NEED LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGEN- 16 CY.—The term ‘‘high-need local educational agency’’ 17 means a high-need local educational agency, as such 18 term is defined in paragraph (10) of section 200 of 19 the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 20 1021(10)). 21 (6) INDIAN TRIBE.—The term ‘‘Indian Tribe’’ 22 means the recognized governing body of any Indian 23 or Alaska Native Tribe, band, nation, pueblo, village, 24 community, component band, or component reserva- 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:09 May 20, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3143.IH H3143 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 8 •HR 3143 IH tion, individually identified (including parentheti- 1 cally) in the list published most recently as of the 2 date of enactment of this Act pursuant to section 3 104 of the Federally Recognized Indian Tribe List 4 Act of 1994 (25 U.S.C. 5131). 5 (7) MINORITY-SERVING INSTITUTION.—The 6 term ‘‘Minority-Serving Institution’’ means any of 7 the following: 8 (A) An Alaska Native-serving institution, 9 as that term is defined in section 317(b) of the 10 Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 11 1059d(b)). 12 (B) A Native Hawaiian-serving institution, 13 as that term is defined in section 317(b) of the 14 Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 15 1059d(b)). 16 (C) A Hispanic-serving institution, as that 17 term is defined in section 502(a) of the Higher 18 Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1101a(a)). 19 (D) A Predominantly Black institution, as 20 that term is defined in section 371(c) of the 21 Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 22 1067q(c)). 23 (E) An Asian American and Native Amer- 24 ican Pacific Islander-serving institution, as that 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:09 May 20, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3143.IH H3143 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 9 •HR 3143 IH term is defined in section 320(b) of the Higher 1 Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1059g(b)). 2 (F) A Native American-serving, nontribal 3 institution, as that term is defined in section 4 319(b) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 5 (20 U.S.C. 1059f(b)). 6 (8) TRIBAL COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY.—The 7 term ‘‘Tribal College or University’’ has the meaning 8 given the term as defined in section 316(b)(3) of the 9 Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 10 1059c(b)(3)). 11 (9) HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGE OR UNI- 12 VERSITY.—The term ‘‘Historically Black College or 13 University’’ has the meaning given the term ‘‘part B 14 institution’’ in section 322 of the Higher Education 15 Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1061). 16 (10) TEACHER LEADER.—The term ‘‘teacher 17 leader’’ means a teacher who is selected to partici- 18 pate in the teacher leadership program under this 19 section. 20 (b) PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.— 21 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall award 22 grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible entities to 23 carry out teacher leadership programs. 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:09 May 20, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3143.IH H3143 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 10 •HR 3143 IH (2) RESERVATIONS.—From the total amount 1 appropriated to carry out this section for a fiscal 2 year, the Secretary— 3 (A) shall reserve not less than 5 percent to 4 carry out subsection (h); 5 (B) may reserve not more than— 6 (i) 3 percent to provide technical as- 7 sistance to, and support the capacity build- 8 ing of, the programs assisted under this 9 section; and 10 (ii) 0.5 percent to support program 11 administration and data collection under 12 this section; and 13 (C) may reserve not more than 3.5 percent 14 to award planning grants to eligible entities in 15 order to assist those eligible entities in devel- 16 oping a program proposal in accordance with 17 subsection (h). 18 (3) GRANT PERIOD.—The Secretary shall make 19 grant awards for not more than 3 years and may ex- 20 tend grant awards for not more than 2 additional 21 years if the grantee is making progress in achieving 22 program objectives. 23 (4) GEOGRAPHIC DIVERSITY.—In awarding 24 grants under this section, the Secretary shall ensure 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:09 May 20, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00010 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3143.IH H3143 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 11 •HR 3143 IH that, to the extent practicable, grants are distributed 1 among eligible entities that will serve geographically 2 diverse areas, including urban and rural areas. 3 (c) APPLICATION.— 4 (1) IN GENERAL.—An eligible entity desiring a 5 grant under this section shall submit an application 6 to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and 7 containing such information as the Secretary may 8 require, including— 9 (A) a description of how the eligible entity 10 will implement the program proposal described 11 in paragraph (2); 12 (B) a description of how grant funds will 13 be spent, including if and how other Federal, 14 State, Tribal, and local funding sources may be 15 used to supplement grant funds in order to 16 meet the requirements of the teacher leadership 17 program; and 18 (C) a description of how the eligible entity 19 will continue the teacher leadership activities 20 assisted under the grant after the grant period 21 ends. 22 (2) PROGRAM PROPOSAL.—The program pro- 23 posal required under this subsection shall include the 24 following: 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:09 May 20, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00011 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3143.IH H3143 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 12 •HR 3143 IH (A) PROGRAM PLAN.—A plan to establish 1 and operate a teacher leadership program that 2 includes the following: 3 (i) A description of how the eligible 4 entity will ensure that the program in- 5 cludes the participation of teacher leaders 6 in goal setting, professional learning, or 7 collaboration with content experts, school 8 leadership, colleagues, or leadership of an 9 eligible entity, with respect to— 10 (I) strategic planning or develop- 11 ment at the school level and the level 12 of the eligible entity, including plan- 13 ning and development relating to 14 school climate, community engage- 15 ment, teacher professional develop- 16 ment and mentorship, and student 17 growth; or 18 (II) implementing practices to 19 support children’s social, emotional, or 20 academic needs, such as— 21 (aa [Text truncated for display. Full text available on Congress.gov.]