On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass — S 848 — Consider Teachers Act

Consider Teachers Act of 2021 This bill revises the service obligation verification process for the Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) grant program. The TEACH program awards grants to postsecondary students who commit to teaching for four years in high-need subjects in low-income schools. In addition, the bill establishes certain program flexibilities with respect to the service obligations of teachers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, the bill provides a process for the Department of Education (ED) to reconsider and reverse the conversion of a TEACH grant to a loan. Under current program terms, TEACH grants are converted into loan obligations if service requirements are not met. In addition, the bill directs ED to notify TEACH grant recipients of the requirements for submitting employment certifications. ED must also provide an alternative to certification. ED must maintain and annually update a list of qualifying schools and high-need fields. The bill also provides certain program flexibilities with respect to the service obligations of teachers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, the bill (1) extends the service obligation window for TEACH grants, and (2) requires ED to consider teaching service that is interrupted as a result of a qualifying emergency as full-time service for purposes of Federal Perkins Loans.