House panel tackles teacher training - Washington Update - a U.S. congressional panel addresses education - Brief Article

Black Issues in Higher Education, July 3, 2003 by Charles Dervarics

A congressional panel has approved a bill to improve teacher training through ideas that include "charter colleges of education" similar to the charter schools created in many communities at the K-12 level.

The House Education and the Workforce panel approved the Ready to Teach Act by voice vote, sending the measure to the full House for approval. The bill has provisions to increase teacher knowledge of core subject matter. But the proposed charter colleges are drawing significant interest. Such colleges could "provide a much-needed alternate route" to train qualified teachers, says U.S. Rep. John Boehner, R-Ohio, the panel's chairman.

Sponsors say the bill, H.R. 2211, would align teacher education programs with the No Child Left Behind Act. Many advocates view this bill as Congress' first foray into Higher Education Act reauthorization, which will carry over into 2004.

The panel also approved separate legislation to increase student loan forgiveness for teachers who specialize in math, science and special education. That bill, H.R. 438, also was approved by voice vote. For more information, contact the Education and the Workforce panel at .