To combat inadequate funding and teacher shortages in America’s rural schools, U.S. Rep. Mike Bost (R-IL) has sponsored bipartisan legislation that would amend federal law regarding partnership grants for establishing rural teaching residency programs.
“Rural communities face unique challenges in recruiting and retaining qualified teachers,” Rep. Bost said on May 12. “I’m proud to lead this bipartisan effort to ensure rural areas like ours receive assistance and resources necessary to grow the next generation of American leaders.”
The Rural Education Investment Act, H.R. 3213, which Rep. Bost introduced with two original cosponsors, including U.S. Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME), would require the U.S. Secretary of Education to determine the percentage of K-12 students living in rural areas who are served by local educational agencies, and reserve at least an equal percentage of Teacher Quality Partnership grants for those agencies, according to a bill summary provided by the lawmakers.
The Teacher Quality Partnership Grant Program allows teachers to be placed in a full-time classroom clinical practice while completing master’s level coursework, the summary says.
“It doesn’t matter where you’re from, all students deserve access to a quality education,” said Rep. Bost. “That quality education comes from training and educating highly qualified teachers.”
The School Superintendents Association, the National Rural Education Association, the National Rural Education Advocacy Coalition, and the Association of Illinois Rural and Small Schools support H.R. 3213, which has been referred to the U.S. House Education and the Workforce Committee for consideration.