Title: To establish a national teaching fellowship program to encourage individuals to enter and remain in the field of teaching at public schools.
Sponsor: Rep Price, David E. [3] [D-NC-4] (introduced 3/29/2007)      Cosponsors (18)
Latest Major Action: 7/9/2007 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Higher Education, Lifelong Learning, and Competitiveness.

Highlights: Provides for scholarships: (1) under the Teaching program for high school seniors and second-year college students to encourage them to enter the teaching field and become career educators; and (2) under the Partnership program for individuals, such as paraprofessional educational personnel and others currently in the education field, to complete a bachelor's degree with a state license or certification to teach through partnerships among associate- and bachelor-degree-granting institutions.

ASPIRA Policy Position

ASPIRA supports increasing teaching workforce and enhancing the quality of teachers.

Title: A bill to support the establishment and operations of Teachers Professional Development Institutes.
Sponsor: Sen Lieberman, Joseph I. [5] [CT] (introduced 10/19/2007)      Cosponsors (1)
Latest Major Action: 10/19/2007 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.Highlights: The secretary is authorized to award grants to encourage the establishment and operation of Teachers Institutes to serve low-income populations; and to provide technical assistance, either directly or through the Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute, to assist local educational agencies and institutions of higher education in preparing to establish and in operating Teachers Institutes.

Grant eligibility: Grants can be made to Teacher Institutes, which are defined as partnerships between institutes of higher education and local educational agencies with significant low-income populations, intended to improve the quality of teaching and learning through collaborative seminars designed to enhance both the subject matter and the pedagogical resources of the seminar participants.

ASPIRA Policy Position

ASPIRA supports quality  professional development for teachers.

However, ASPIRA is concerned that the direct mention of the Yale-New Haven Teacher Institute (in the Senators state of CT) provides it a special status and will limit the choice of TA providers directing a significant portion of the TA to that Institute.