119-hr5056

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5056 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 5056

 To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide for a teacher 
 leader development program, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 August 26, 2025

 Mr. Schneider (for himself, Ms. Underwood, Mr. Fitzpatrick, Mr. 
Mannion, and Mr. Fleischmann) introduced the following bill; which was 
 referred to the Committee on Education and Workforce

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide for a teacher 
 leader development program, and for other purposes.

 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

 This Act may be cited as the ``Teachers Are Leaders Act of 2025''.

SEC. 2. TEACHER LEADER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--Subsection

    (f) of 

section 202 of the Higher 
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1022a) is amended to read as follows:
 ``

    (f) Teacher Leader Development Program.--
 ``

    (1) In general.--A teacher leader development program 
 carried out with a grant awarded under this section shall 
 provide for the professional development of teachers, as 
 described in paragraph

    (2) , who maintain their roles as 
 classroom teachers and who also carry out formalized leadership 
 responsibilities to increase the academic achievement of 
 students and promote data-driven instructional practices that 
 address the demonstrated needs at the elementary schools and 
 secondary schools in which the teachers are employed, such as--
 ``
        (A) development of curriculum and curricular 
 resources;
 ``
        (B) facilitating the work of committees and 
 teams;
 ``
            (C) family and community engagement;
 ``
            (D) school discipline and culture;
 ``
        (E) peer observations and coaching;
 ``
        (F) dual enrollment instruction; or
 ``
        (G) cultural competencies.
 ``

    (2) Professional development.--The professional 
 development of teachers in a teacher leader development program 
 carried out with a grant awarded under this section shall 
 include--
 ``
        (A) one year of professional development, 
 training, and support that may--
 ``
            (i) include--
 ``
            (I) the engagement of teachers in 
 rigorous coursework and fieldwork 
 relevant to their role as a teacher 
 leader, including available teacher 
 leader standards; and
 ``
            (II) regular observations and 
 professional support from--
 ``

    (aa) a principal, vice 
 principal, or a designated 
 instructional leader of the 
 school;
 ``

    (bb) a representative 
 from the institution of higher 
 education that is a partner in 
 the eligible partnership;
 ``
            (cc) a representative 
 from another entity that is a 
 partner in the eligible 
 partnership; and
 ``
            (dd) another member of 
 the teacher leader cohort, if 
 applicable, or a peer teacher; 
 and
 ``
            (ii) result in the awarding of a 
 credential in teacher leadership; and
 ``
        (B) one or 2 additional years of support from a 
 principal, vice principal, or a designated 
 instructional leader of the school, a representative 
 from the institution of higher education that is a 
 partner in the eligible partnership, and a 
 representative from another entity that is a partner in 
 the eligible partnership.
 ``

    (3) Teacher leader development program plan.--In carrying 
 out a teacher leader development program under this section, an 
 eligible partnership shall develop a plan that shall describe--
 ``
        (A) how the work hours of teacher leaders will be 
 allocated between their classroom responsibilities and 
 responsibilities as a teacher leader, which shall 
 include a description of whether the teacher leader 
 will be relieved from teaching duties during their 
 participation in the teacher leader development 
 program;
 ``
        (B) how the partnership will support teacher 
 leaders after the first year of professional 
 development in the program; and
 ``
            (C) how teacher leader activities could be 
 sustained by the eligible partnership after the program 
 concludes, which may include a description of 
 opportunities for the teacher leaders to assist in the 
 educator preparation program at the institution of 
 higher education in the partnership.
 ``

    (4) Selection of teacher leaders; use of funds.--In 
 carrying out a teacher leader development program under this 
 section, an eligible partnership--
 ``
        (A) shall select a teacher for participation in 
 the program--
 ``
            (i) who--
 ``
            (I) is fully certified to teach 
 in the State of the high-need local 
 educational agency that is a partner in 
 the eligible partnership;
 ``
            (II) is employed by such high-
 need local educational agency;
 ``
            (III) has not less than 3 years 
 of teaching experience; and
 ``
            (IV) submits an application for 
 participation to the eligible 
 partnership; and
 ``
            (ii) based on selection criteria that 
 includes--
 ``
            (I) demonstration of strong 
 content knowledge or a record of 
 accomplishment in the field or subject 
 area the teacher will support as a 
 teacher leader; and
 ``
            (II) demonstration of attributes 
 linked to effective teaching that is 
 determined through interviews, 
 observations, artifacts, student 
 achievement, or performance 
 assessments, such as those leading to 
 an advanced credential;
 ``
        (B) may develop admissions goals and priorities 
 for the teacher leader development program that--
 ``
            (i) are aligned with the demonstrated 
 needs of the school or high-need local 
 educational agency in which the teacher is 
 employed;
 ``
            (ii) considers cultural competencies that 
 would make the applicant effective in the 
 applicant's teacher leader role; and
 ``
            (iii) considers whether the teacher has 
 substantial teaching experience in the school 
 in which the teacher is employed or in a school 
 that is similar to the school in which the 
 teacher is employed;
 ``
            (C) shall use the grant funds to pay for costs of 
 training and supporting teacher leaders for not less 
 than 2 years and not more than 3 years;
 ``
            (D) may use the grant funds to pay for a portion 
 of a stipend for teacher leaders if such grant funds 
 are matched by additional non-Federal public or private 
 funds as follows:
 ``
            (i) during each of the first and second 
 years of the grant period, grant funds may pay 
 not more than 50 percent of such stipend; and
 ``
            (ii) during the third year of the grant 
 period, grant funds may pay not more than 33 
 percent of such stipend; and
 ``
        (E) may require teacher leaders to pay back the 
 cost of attaining the credential described in paragraph

    (2)
        (A)
            (ii) if they do not complete their term of 
 service in the teacher leader development program.
 ``

    (5) Teacher leader defined.--In this subsection, the term 
 `teacher leader' means a highly effective educator who carries 
 out formalized leadership responsibilities based on the 
 demonstrated needs of the elementary school or secondary school 
 in which the teacher is employed, while maintaining a role as a 
 classroom instructor who--
 ``
        (A) is trained in and practices teacher 
 leadership; and
 ``
        (B) fosters a collaborative culture to--
 ``
            (i) support educator development, 
 effectiveness, and student learning;
 ``
            (ii) support access and use research to 
 improve practice and student learning;
 ``
            (iii) promote professional learning for 
 continuous improvement;
 ``
            (iv) facilitate improvements in 
 instruction and student learning; promote the 
 appropriate use of assessments and data for 
 school and district improvement;
 ``
            (v) improve outreach and collaboration 
 with families and community;
 ``
            (vi) advance the profession by shaping 
 and implementing policy;
 ``
            (vii) advocate for increased access to 
 great teaching and learning for all students; 
 and
 ``
            (viii) demonstrate cultural competencies 
 and provide instruction and support as such.''.

    (b) Conforming Amendment.--

Section 202
            (c) (2) of the Higher 
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1022a) is amended by striking 
``leadership development program'' and inserting ``teacher leader 
development program''.
            (c) Authorization of Appropriations.--

Section 209 of the Higher 
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1022h) is amended by striking ``for 
fiscal year 2009 and such sums as may be necessary for each of the two 
succeeding fiscal years'' and inserting ``for fiscal year 2025 and such 
sums as may be necessary for each of the 5 succeeding fiscal years''.
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