WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Representative Mike Bost (IL-12) today introduced the Rural Education Investment Act to combat inadequate funding and teacher shortages in rural schools. The bipartisan legislation requires the U.S. Department of Education to ensure that Teacher Quality Partnership (TQP) grant funding is equal to the percentage of K-12 students living in a rural area. 

“Our children are the next generation of leaders and deserve access to a quality education, regardless of where they live,” said Bost. “Many of our rural Southern Illinois communities have been struggling with teacher shortages for years, and COVID-19 has only made it worse. While we are blessed to have many wonderful educational professionals, we must find new ways to address this shortage and give rural areas the tools they need to recruit and retain qualified teachers.”

The TQP grant program allows teachers to be placed in a full-time classroom clinical practice while completing Master’s-level coursework. The Rural Education Investment is supported by the National Education Association.

 

###