“I believe this legislation will make a difference in the lives of America’s children by significantly improving the programs that train the teachers of tomorrow,” said Gingrey, author of the HR 2211. “The successful education of this nation’s children is inextricably tied to the quality of teachers educating them. I’m pleased that we are moving forward on legislation today that will support our teachers by ensuring they are given the training and tools they need to be ready to teach when they enter the classroom.

“It’s gratifying to see members from both sides of the aisle coming together to do what’s best for teachers and students,” he said.”

The Ready to Teach Act, aligns the teacher training programs under the Higher Education Act with the high standards for accountability and results found in the No Child Left Behind Act, the bipartisan K-12 education reform legislation signed into law in January 2002. By bringing teacher training programs in line with NCLB, programs will be held accountable for preparing highly qualified teachers who are ready to teach when they enter the classroom.

“As we work to place highly qualified teachers in classrooms across the nation, I am particularly pleased that the Ready to Teach Act allows for innovative programs that provide alternative options to the traditional teacher training programs,” said Education and the Workforce Committee Chairman John Boehner (R-Ohio). “Proposals outlined in the bill, such as charter colleges of education, provide a much-needed alternate route to training highly qualified and effective teachers.  H.R. 2211 authorizes states to use funds to set up charter colleges of education that function in a manner similar to elementary and secondary charter schools – except that they would prepare highly qualified teachers in a higher education setting.”

“This bill takes the important step of recognizing that individuals seeking to enter the teaching profession often have varied backgrounds – and by creating flexible approaches that step outside the box, these individuals can become highly qualified teachers through training programs as unique as their individual experiences,” continued Boehner.

The Committee sought to meet the needs of the nation’s school teachers in two ways today, not only by improving the programs designed to train teachers, but also to provide an important tool to help recruit and retain highly qualified teachers for classrooms in need. The second bill considered by the Committee, the Teacher Recruitment and Retention Act, more than triples the amount of loan forgiveness available for teachers in subject areas facing extreme shortages – providing schools with a powerful financial incentive to bring highly qualified teachers into the schools that need them the most.