Law and Government Legislation regarding 'Teachers' in Federal Government

(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary of that version is repeated here.)

Designates May 5-May 9, 2008, as the 7th annual National Substitute Teacher Recognition Week.

Recognizes the vital role substitute teachers play in a child's education.

(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary of that version is repeated here.)

Thanks and promotes the teaching profession to encourage students, parents, school administrators, and public officials to participate in National Teacher Appreciation Week, May 4-May 10, 2008.

(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary of that version is repeated here.)

Designates the week of April 13-19, 2008, as "Week of the Young Child."

Commends the Court of Appeal for the Second Appellate District in Los Angeles, California, for allowing a rehearing of the decision in the In re Rachel L. case, requiring parents to hold a teaching license in order to legally homeschool their children.

Calls upon the court to uphold the U.S. Supreme Court's opinion that parents have a fundamental and constitutional right to direct the upbringing and education of their children.

(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary of that version is repeated here.)

Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that a National Teacher Day should be established to honor and celebrate teachers.

Educational Immunity Act of 2005 [sic] - Absolves from civil liability in federal court any educator or school administrator in a public or private pre-K-12 school for any act or omission in the course and scope of employment, except for liability under a contract or for criminal conduct.

Enhancing Teaching Standards and License Portability Act of 2007 - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to authorize the Secretary of Education to award a competitive grant to a partnership between an organization representing state educational agency administrators and one or more independent professional organizations that have teacher preparation, licensure, and assessment expertise to: (1) enhance kindergarten through grade 12 teaching standards; (2) develop performance-based teaching assessments that are linked to such standards and can be used for licensing; and (3) provide technical assistance and matching subgrants to states to adopt such teaching standards and assessments, align their licensing systems to such standards, and facilitate teacher license portability across the states.

(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary of that version is repeated here.)

Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 3100 Cashwell Drive in Goldsboro, North Carolina, as the "John Henry Wooten, Sr. Post Office Building."

Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at Highway 49 South in Piney Woods, Mississippi, as the "Lawrence C. and Grace M. Jones Post Office Building."

Enhancing Education through Tax Relief Act of 2007 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend through 2011: (1) the tax deduction for certain expenses of elementary and secondary school teachers; (2) the expanded tax deduction for charitable contributions of book inventories to public schools; (3) the expanded tax deduction for charitable contributions of computer technology or equipment to schools, charities, and public libraries; (4) the tax credit for holders of qualified zone academy bonds; and (5) the tax deduction for qualified tuition and related expenses.

America's Teachers Tax Relief Act of 2007 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to make permanent the tax deduction for certain expenses of elementary and secondary school teachers.

Educator Expense Deduction Act of 2007 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) increase the allowable tax deduction for the expenses of elementary and secondary school teachers to $500; (2) allow the deduction of professional development expenses; and (3) make such deduction permanent.

Teachers at the Table Act - Amends title I (Improving the Academic Achievement of the Disadvantaged) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to direct the Secretary of Education to establish the Volunteer Teacher Advisory Committee to monitor the effects of such title (amended by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001) in classrooms, with its focus solely on children and families.

Requires that committee membership consist of a diverse group of public school classroom teachers who are past or present Teachers of the Year.

Student and Teacher Safety Act of 2007 - Requires local educational agencies to have in effect policies that deem to be reasonable and permissible a search of any minor student on public school grounds if conducted by a full-time teacher or school official, acting on any reasonable suspicion based on professional experience and judgment, to ensure that the school and students remain free from the threat of all weapons, dangerous materials, or illegal narcotics. Requires search measures to be reasonably related to search objectives, without being excessively intrusive in light of the nature of the offense and the student's age and sex.

Denies Safe and Drug Free School funds, provided under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, to local educational agencies that fail to comply with this Act.

(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary of that version is repeated here.)

Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at Highway 49 South in Piney Woods, Mississippi, as the "Laurence C. and Grace M. Jones Post Office Building."

Teacher Tax Credit Act of 2007 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow elementary and secondary school (K-12) teachers a tax credit for 50% of their education expenses (books, supplies, computer equipment, and supplementary materials) and their professional development expenses up to $300 in any taxable year.

(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary of that version is repeated here.)

Expresses the appreciation of the Senate for the profound public service and educational contributions of Donald Jeffry Herbert (television's "Mr. Wizard").

Recognizes the profound impact of higher educational institutions that train teachers.

Encourages students to honor the heritage of Don Herbert by exploring our world through science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields.

Tenders the condolences of the Senate to the family of Don Herbert, and thanks them for their strong familial support of him.

Teachers at the Table Act - Amends title I (Improving the Academic Achievement of the Disadvantaged) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to direct the Secretary of Education to establish the Volunteer Teacher Advisory Committee to monitor the effects of such title (amended by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001) in classrooms, with a focus on children and families.

Requires that committee membership consist of a diverse group of public school classroom teachers appointed from within the National State Teachers of the Year organization.

(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary of that version is repeated here.)

Expresses the appreciation of the House of Representatives for the profound public service and educational contributions of Donald Jeffry Herbert (television's "Mr. Wizard").

Recognizes the profound impact of higher educational institutions that train teachers.

Encourages students to honor the heritage of Don Herbert by exploring our world through science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields.

Tenders the condolences of the House to the family of Don Herbert, and thanks them for their strong familial support of him.

Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to establish a grants program to reduce class size through the use of fully-qualified teachers.

Allots funds to states and local educational agencies to recruit, hire, and train additional teachers, in order to: (1) reduce class sizes nationally, in grades one through three, to an average of 18 students per classroom; and (2) improve teaching in those grades so that all students can learn to read independently and well by the end of the third grade.

Teacher and Nurse Support Act of 2007 - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to increase to a maximum of $17,500 the aggregate student loan obligation eligible for forgiveness or cancellation under the Federal Family Education Loan or Direct Loan programs for teachers who serve full-time in certain elementary or secondary schools that enroll a high proportion of disadvantaged students.

Includes, under these student loan forgiveness and cancellation programs, nurses who serve in a clinical setting or as a member of the nursing faculty at an accredited school of nursing.

Directs the Secretary of Education to repay such loan obligation in annual installments up to specified maximum amounts after each of five years of such service.

Nurse Loan Forgiveness Act of 2007 - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) to include, under HEA student loan forgiveness and cancellation programs, nurses who: (1) serve at least one calendar year in an approved health care facility or setting; or (2) have a Masters of Science in Nursing and are nursing instructors in a school of nursing.

Limits the maximum amount of such loan repayment by the Secretary of Education to $2,000 after the first year of a nurse's employment, with incremental increases after the second through fourth years, up to $5,000 after the fifth year.

Commends the Poudre High School science bowl team from Colorado on winning the 2007 United States Department of Energy Science Bowl.

Nurse Faculty Higher Education Act - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to allow the Secretary of Education to award grants to, and enter into contracts and cooperative agreements with, partnerships composed of an accredited school of nursing at an institution of higher education and a hospital or other health facility to establish pilot projects to enable such a facility to retain its staff of experienced nurses while providing a mechanism to have these individuals become faculty members of such a school. Requires such individuals to teach for two years for each year of support received under the program.

Teacher Tax Credit Act of 2007 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow an eligible educator an annual $2,000 tax credit.

Defines: (1) "eligible educator" as an individual who is a kindergarten through grade 12 teacher, instructor, counselor, principal, or aide in an eligible elementary or secondary school for at least 900 hours during a school year; and (2) "eligible elementary or secondary school" as a school that is eligible for schoolwide assistance under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965.

Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude from gross income up to 25% of the wages earned by a certified master teacher in certain schools identified as in need of improvement or in a Head Start program. Defines "certified master teacher" as a teacher who: (1) has at least five years teaching experience in a public elementary or secondary school; (2) is highly qualified as defined by the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965; (3) has a master's degree; and (4) has advanced certification in the applicable state licensing system. Terminates such exclusion after 2013.