Addressing Teacher Shortages Act of 2026

Key Points

• This bill creates a competitive grant program to help schools recruit and retain teachers, with a focus on rural areas and high-need subjects like math, science, special education, and English as a second language. At least 25% of funds must go to rural areas, 25% to high-need subjects, and 25% to diversifying the workforce.
• Grant money can fund 'Grow Your Own' programs that recruit local community members into teaching, as well as teaching residency programs that give new teachers hands-on classroom experience while earning a degree. Priority goes to applicants who partner with minority-serving institutions like HBCUs and Hispanic-serving institutions.
• To lower the cost of becoming a teacher, grants can cover tuition, resident salaries, mentor teacher incentives, housing allowances, and stipends for student teachers. In return for tuition support, residents must commit to teaching in the community for at least three years.
• The program supports teacher retention through mentoring and induction programs for novice teachers in their first two years, career advancement opportunities with increased pay, and professional development for school administrators focused on keeping teachers in the profession.
• Five percent of grant funds are reserved for the Secretary of the Interior to carry out the program in schools supported by the Bureau of Indian Education. The bill also expresses that teaching should be recognized as a career and technical education pathway, making education programs eligible for CTE funding.