Introducing the Interstate Teaching Mobility Act

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to re-introduce the bipartisan Interstate Teaching Mobility Act. This broadly supported and bipartisan proposal would authorize the Secretary of Education to work with an outside entity to create a voluntary, interstate teacher licensing program that would allow eligible teachers to transfer their licenses between states.

Our country's systems of teacher licensure create problems for teachers, students, and schools alike. Licensing and certification requirements for teachers are inconsistent from state to state, and even within states, with hundreds of licensure tests in use and other requirements varying substantially. The level of rigor is also highly variable--with the bar far too low in many cases. As a result of these differences, the majority of states do not accept out-of-state teaching credentials.

For teachers, this poses clear obstacles. A teacher licensed in one state who wishes to teach in another may have to complete additional requirements, such as exams or coursework, or pay additional fees, even if he has already completed an approved credentialing program or has a strong teaching record. As our nation's workforce becomes increasingly mobile, these requirements dramatically decrease the mobility of our nation's teaching workforce. For military spouses, who frequently relocate--among whom teaching is the second most common profession--or out-of-state college graduates wishing to teach in their home state, this problem is particularly acute. These roadblocks likely deter many prospective teachers from entering this vital profession.

The system also presents a real problem for school districts, as schools across the country face a growing teacher shortage. Across the board, teacher education enrollment dropped 35 percent from 2009 to 2014; however, the types of shortages vary across states. Limited licensure policies make it even more difficult for school administrators to fill teaching positions--and for students, the consequence results in less access to high-quality teachers.

The Interstate Teaching Mobility Act would direct the Department of Education to create a new, voluntary program for states to participate in an interstate teaching application process. Teachers licensed or certified in one participating state would be eligible to teach in another. A participating state would be required to adhere to standards of content knowledge, pedagogical assessment, and performance assessment identified as sufficiently rigorous by an outside organization. This would ensure high standards for our teachers, while maintaining the essential role of the states in setting specific requirements for teaching in the state or obtaining licenses in the state.

With programs like the one envisioned by this bill, teachers could far more easily transfer their skills to another participating state.

Teachers would benefit from the ability to more easily relocate, while schools and districts would have superior options for filling teacher shortages. Above all, students will benefit from rigorous standards set by their home state and will have increased access to high-quality teachers.

I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting the Interstate Teaching Mobility Act.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source