New Legislation Aims to Strengthen Educator Workforce Pipeline & Better Support Teachers

WASHINGTON, DC – The teaching profession is in crisis. Whether it is job satisfaction, interest in the field, or the number of prospective educators earning licenses, the teaching profession is at its lowest levels in half a century, according to a 2024 report for Brown University’s Annenberg Institute. In an effort to rebuild, expand, and improve the nation’s educator workforce pipeline and strengthen student outcomes, U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), and Ron Wyden (D-OR) and U.S. Representatives Alma Adams (D-NC-12), Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), and Jahana Hayes (D-CT-05) are teaming up to introduce new, bicameral legislation to invest in a national strategy to support the educator workforce now and into the future. The Quality Educator Partnership Act of 2026 (S.5549) would create a comprehensive strategy to recruit, prepare, retain, and advance high-quality educators from early childhood through secondary education. Led by a new, dedicated Office of Educator Workforce at the Department of Education, the legislation would invest $1 billion to incentivize partnerships between school districts and educator preparation programs and to help states design and implement educator workforce strategies. This legislation comes in response to a call to action from a coalition of education organizations, led by the AACTE (American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education), who have urged Congress to change the trajectory of the education profession through federal leadership and systemic accountability; investing in innovation and sustainability; making the education profession an affordable career path; and advancing research and evidence to guide the future of learning. “Our nation’s future is directly tied to the strength of our educators. While the Trump Administration fails our students and schemes to dismantle the Department of Education, Congress must step up to ensure we have teachers who are ready and able to equip our students with the skills they need to thrive in a challenging environment. The Quality Educator Partnership Act would do just that by creating new federal infrastructure, boosting investments, and expanding our ability to prepare teachers now and in the future,” said Senator Reed . “By creating a National Educator Service Corps, grant programs, and research capabilities through the Department of Education, this bill would significantly expand the pathway to the teaching profession; help schools recruit, support, and retain educators; and leverage, uplift, and enhance input from across the education profession to better prepare teachers and serve our students.” “Our students are our future, and our teachers play a central role in shaping and preparing them for success. That’s why it’s critical that we invest in supporting and developing the next generation of educators. With Donald Trump gutting the Department of Education, our communities need us to act now. This legislation marks an important step toward recruiting educators and ensuring our schools have the resources they need so that students across our country can receive a quality education,” said Senator Van Hollen . “As an educator for 40 years, a city school board member, and now as the Ranking Member of the Higher Education and Workforce Development Subcommittee, I've watched the national teacher shortage grow worse for decades,” said Congresswoman Alma S. Adams, PhD . “According to the Department of Education, 69% of public schools reported struggling to fill vacant positions before the 2024-2025 school year. The Quality Educator Partnership Act gives the Department the tools and coordination it is missing, from new investment in recruitment to long-overdue standards for ed-tech integration. Educators, administrators, and students have waited long enough for this support.” “Strong schools start with strong educators, and that means building a pipeline of talented individuals to lead in our classrooms,” said Congresswoman Hayes . “The Quality Educator Partnership Act invests in the strategic and creative pathways needed to recruit, prepare, and support the next generation of teachers. By exploring all opportunities to expand and develop the profession we can give every student access to the high-quality education they deserve,” said Congresswoman Jahana Hayes. “Current and prospective educators face many challenges, including the cost of college, attacks on public education, and limited federal funding for graduate programs. The investments in the teaching workforce in this important legislation will meaningfully address shortfalls in the educator pipeline and highlight the life-changing potential of a quality education. I’m pleased to join Rep. Adams and several other colleagues in this commitment to our nation’s educators with this legislation,” said Representative Suzanne Bonamici . A significant obstacle to recruiting and retaining new teachers is the financial commitment needed for training and certification. Through the creation of a new National Educator Service Corps, the costs of tuition and living expenses would be covered for prospective teachers who agree to teach in high-need areas. By establishing new federal educator workforce grant programs, the Quality Educator Partnership Act would also catalyze the development and implementation of partnerships to grow educator workforce development programs and carry out research to best support teachers in addressing the needs of students. With the creation of the Office of Educator Workforce and Office of Educational Technology and Digital Literacy within the Department of Education, the bill will upgrade the federal government’s ability to develop and coordinate policies with regard to teacher workforce development; provide guidance and technical assistance; increase partnerships and collaboration; and address the growing role and importance of technology and digital literacy in 21 st century education. The Quality Educator Partnership Act of 2026 is supported by more than two dozen organizations, including AACTE, 1890 Universities Foundation; American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL); Association of Independent Liberal Arts Colleges for Teacher Education (AILACTE); American Federation of Teachers (AFT); American Library Association (ALA); Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE); Center for Reaching & Teaching the Whole Child; City Teaching Alliance; Council for Academic Deans of Research Education Institutions (CADREI); Deans for Impact (DFI); Educational Testing Services (ETS); InnovateEDU; International Society for Transforming Education (ISTE+ASCD); National Association of Community College Teacher Education Programs (NACCTEP); National Association for Family, School and Community Engagement (NAFSCE); National Association for Music Education; National Association for School-University Partnerships (NASUP); National Association of Elementary School Principals; National Center for Learning Disabilities; National Center for Teacher Residencies; National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE); National Education Association (NEA); National Principals Association; Teach Plus; TECSCU, Teacher Education Council for State Colleges and Universities; Thurgood Marshall College Fund; and UNCF. “Senator Reed and Representative Adams have shown exceptional leadership in translating AACTE's Call to Action into concrete federal policy,” said Cheryl Holcomb-McCoy, Ph.D., AACTE President and CEO . “This bill reflects a shared understanding that America's students deserve the best possible education, and that starts with sustained federal investment in the educators who prepare them. It strengthens the partnerships between educator preparation programs, school districts, and communities that are essential to building and sustaining a strong, diverse educator workforce. We are deeply grateful to Senator Reed and Representative Adams for their continued championing of educators and the students they serve.” “You can’t solve the teacher shortage with quick fixes—but you can make serious inroads with a sustained, meaningful investment in the educators who’ve dedicated their lives to helping children. The Quality Educator Partnership Act makes that commitment real. It strengthens teacher preparation, expands mentorship, supports civil rights enforcement and ensures our schools have guardrails in place for the digital world,” said Randi Weingarten, AFT President .