Warner, Hatch, Bennet, Cornyn Introduce Bill to Better Prepare Teachers For the Classroom

Press Release

Today Senators Mark Warner, D-Va., Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, Michael Bennet, D-Colo., and John Cornyn, R-Texas introduced The Elevating Educator Preparation through Innovation Act--a bipartisan bill that will improve professional development opportunities for teachers in high-needs school districts.

"The Department of Education estimates that we will need to hire 430,000 new teachers by 2020. We must embrace innovative approaches to teacher preparation in order to meet these human capital needs," Warner said. "Our proposal supports a diverse and effective teacher workforce by allowing districts greater autonomy in choosing preparation partners and creating a direct link between teachers' educator preparation and professional development. The Teacher Quality Partnership Grant Program has already done incredible work in Virginia. This bill will amplify the program's impact to serve a broader swath of teachers and students across the Commonwealth."

"The first few years in the classroom can be overwhelming for many teachers, but we can support them by expanding access to education training programs," Hatch said. "This bill enables schools in high-needs districts to partner with a broader range of organizations to provide more professional development opportunities for educators and help prepare them for a career in the classroom. Our proposal ensures that teachers have greater access to the resources they need to thrive in their professions and inspire a new generation of Americans."

"Recruiting and preparing great teachers is critical to ensuring every kid, regardless of their zip code, has access to a quality education," Bennet said. "Our bipartisan bill provides greater flexibility for school districts to partner with universities and other teacher preparation organizations to help ensure our teachers have the skills they need to teach our kids for the 21st century. This will help teachers grow professionally and give our kids more opportunity for success in the classroom."

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