U.S. Senate Approves Legislation to Expand
Loan Forgiveness Program to Head Start Teachers
May 17, 2001

Washington, DC – The U.S. Senate today approved a measure, sponsored by Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and George Voinovich (R-OH), to expand the current federal loan forgiveness program to include Head Start teachers.

The current program allows elementary and secondary school teachers to have up to $5,000 of their student loans forgiven in exchange for 5 years of teaching.

“I am pleased that the Senate approved this measure,” Senator Feinstein said. “This will encourage more college graduates to become Head Start teachers and, consequently, improve the cognitive learning portion of the Head Start program.”

A survey conducted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in 1999 and 2000 found a strong relationship between the education of the Head Start teacher and classroom quality. Specifically, the researchers found that teachers with higher levels of education had classes with more opportunities for children to develop cognitive learning skills.

The measure, which was co-sponsored by Senators Thad Cochran (R-MS), Mary Landrieu (D-LA), Patty Murray (D-WA), Jon Corzine (D-NJ) and Max Baucus (D-MT), was an amendment to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). The Senate approved it by a vote of 76-24.

In addition, the Senate has unanimously approved a second Feinstein education measure, which authorizes school districts to use teacher training funds to create master teacher positions.

“The master teacher would become a mentor teacher and would help other teachers improve their teaching skills, develop curriculum and provide other professional development,” Feinstein noted.

In Fiscal Year 2002, $3 billion is authorized for teacher training. If, for example, $200 million were spent on master teachers, 6,600 positions could be created, providing a $30,000 salary enhancement to each master teacher.