HR 5056
Teachers Are Leaders Act of 2025
Take action
Record your position on this measure.
Sign in to record your position, submit testimony, or contact your legislator.
Sign in to take action- Introduced
- Passed House
- Passed Senate
- To President
- Became Law
Bill overview
The Teachers Are Leaders Act of 2025 aims to establish a teacher leader development program under the Higher Education Act. This program will provide professional development to classroom teachers who take on formalized leadership roles within their schools to improve student achievement and instructional practices. The program will include training, support, and a credentialing opportunity, with a focus on collaboration and data-driven decision-making, and aims to support teachers in addressing the specific needs of their schools and communities.
Key provisions
- Creates a grant-funded teacher leader development program.
- Provides professional development including coursework, fieldwork, and ongoing support from school leaders and higher education partners.
- Requires eligible partnerships to develop a plan outlining how teacher leaders’ time will be allocated and how the program will be sustained.
- Establishes criteria for selecting teacher leaders, including certification, experience, and demonstrated leadership skills.
- Allows for stipends for teacher leaders, with matching requirements.
- Defines ‘teacher leader’ as an educator with formalized leadership responsibilities.
- Includes provisions for cultural competencies and family/community engagement.
- Modifies the Higher Education Act to reflect the new teacher leader development program.
Who is affected
- Teachers
- Elementary and Secondary Schools
- School Administrators
- Higher Education Institutions
Sponsors
Official sponsors from legislative records.
Primary sponsor
Cosponsors
Arguments in favor
Reasons to support this legislation.
No arguments in favor have been submitted.
Submit yoursArguments opposed
Reasons to oppose this legislation.
No arguments opposed have been submitted.
Submit yoursRead the latest version inline or switch to a previous version.
119th CONGRESS — 1st Session
H. R. 5056
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
A BILL
To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide for a teacher leader development program, and for other purposes.
This Act may be cited as the Teachers Are Leaders Act of 2025
.
A teacher leader development program carried out with a grant awarded under this section shall provide for the professional development of teachers, as described in paragraph (2), who maintain their roles as classroom teachers and who also carry out formalized leadership responsibilities to increase the academic achievement of students and promote data-driven instructional practices that address the demonstrated needs at the elementary schools and secondary schools in which the teachers are employed, such as—
development of curriculum and curricular resources;
facilitating the work of committees and teams;
family and community engagement;
school discipline and culture;
peer observations and coaching;
dual enrollment instruction; or
cultural competencies.
The professional development of teachers in a teacher leader development program carried out with a grant awarded under this section shall include—
one year of professional development, training, and support that may—
include—
the engagement of teachers in rigorous coursework and fieldwork relevant to their role as a teacher leader, including available teacher leader standards; and
regular observations and professional support from—
a principal, vice principal, or a designated instructional leader of the school;
a representative from the institution of higher education that is a partner in the eligible partnership;
a representative from another entity that is a partner in the eligible partnership; and
another member of the teacher leader cohort, if applicable, or a peer teacher; and
result in the awarding of a credential in teacher leadership; and
one or 2 additional years of support from a principal, vice principal, or a designated instructional leader of the school, a representative from the institution of higher education that is a partner in the eligible partnership, and a representative from another entity that is a partner in the eligible partnership.
In carrying out a teacher leader development program under this section, an eligible partnership shall develop a plan that shall describe—
how the work hours of teacher leaders will be allocated between their classroom responsibilities and responsibilities as a teacher leader, which shall include a description of whether the teacher leader will be relieved from teaching duties during their participation in the teacher leader development program;
how the partnership will support teacher leaders after the first year of professional development in the program; and
how teacher leader activities could be sustained by the eligible partnership after the program concludes, which may include a description of opportunities for the teacher leaders to assist in the educator preparation program at the institution of higher education in the partnership.
In carrying out a teacher leader development program under this section, an eligible partnership—
shall select a teacher for participation in the program—
who—
is fully certified to teach in the State of the high-need local educational agency that is a partner in the eligible partnership;
is employed by such high-need local educational agency;
has not less than 3 years of teaching experience; and
submits an application for participation to the eligible partnership; and
based on selection criteria that includes—
demonstration of strong content knowledge or a record of accomplishment in the field or subject area the teacher will support as a teacher leader; and
demonstration of attributes linked to effective teaching that is determined through interviews, observations, artifacts, student achievement, or performance assessments, such as those leading to an advanced credential;
may develop admissions goals and priorities for the teacher leader development program that—
are aligned with the demonstrated needs of the school or high-need local educational agency in which the teacher is employed;
considers cultural competencies that would make the applicant effective in the applicant’s teacher leader role; and
considers whether the teacher has substantial teaching experience in the school in which the teacher is employed or in a school that is similar to the school in which the teacher is employed;
shall use the grant funds to pay for costs of training and supporting teacher leaders for not less than 2 years and not more than 3 years;
may use the grant funds to pay for a portion of a stipend for teacher leaders if such grant funds are matched by additional non-Federal public or private funds as follows:
during each of the first and second years of the grant period, grant funds may pay not more than 50 percent of such stipend; and
during the third year of the grant period, grant funds may pay not more than 33 percent of such stipend; and
may require teacher leaders to pay back the cost of attaining the credential described in paragraph (2)(A)(ii) if they do not complete their term of service in the teacher leader development program.
is trained in and practices teacher leadership; and
fosters a collaborative culture to—
support educator development, effectiveness, and student learning;
support access and use research to improve practice and student learning;
promote professional learning for continuous improvement;
facilitate improvements in instruction and student learning; promote the appropriate use of assessments and data for school and district improvement;
improve outreach and collaboration with families and community;
advance the profession by shaping and implementing policy;
advocate for increased access to great teaching and learning for all students; and
demonstrate cultural competencies and provide instruction and support as such.
leadership development programand inserting
teacher leader development program.
for fiscal year 2009 and such sums as may be necessary for each of the two succeeding fiscal yearsand inserting
for fiscal year 2025 and such sums as may be necessary for each of the 5 succeeding fiscal years.