|
|
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
|
State
Rep. James Roebuck |
|
Roebuck bill would support Pa. teachers' National Board certification costs
HARRISBURG, March 18 – Pennsylvania teachers who undergo certification through the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards would receive support for fees under legislation approved by the House Education Committee today.
Chairman James Roebuck, D-Phila., said he reintroduced his legislation (H.B. 794) in order to help Pennsylvania's teachers afford the National Board's fees. The certification program is widely known as the "gold standard" in teaching standards. Pennsylvania lags behind the rest of the country with only 496 of the nation's 74,000 National Board-certified teachers.
"There's a wealth of research that shows us National Board-certified teachers help students learn better than other teachers," Roebuck said. "We as a Commonwealth ought to encourage and support teachers who are willing to take on this demanding certification program. The benefits we – and our children -- stand to receive in years to come far outweigh the modest cost of helping teachers with the program fees."
Under Roebuck's legislation, the state would provide funding through the Department of Education to cover the cost of National Board courses not already covered by state and federal funding and private grants. Priority would be given to teachers working in the most academically challenged schools throughout the state and those who teach hard-to-staff subjects. State payment of the teachers' fees would require them to teach in a Pennsylvania school for at least three more years.
House Bill 794 heads to the full House for consideration.
###mds/2009/bfg
l:'print'releases'NationalBoard.188