PA House Passes Three Bills to Address Teacher Shortage (May 12, 2023)

On May 1, 2023, the PA House approved HB 141, known as the Time for Pennsylvania to Grow Our Own Educators Act, which would amend the Public School Code to develop talent recruitment by providing for a Talent Recruitment Account, as well as establishing the Grow-Your-Own Educators Grant Program and grow-your-own educator career pathways. The bill, passed by a  120-81 vote, would encourage paraprofessionals and other school support personnel to attend postsecondary schools to obtain their teaching credentials. It now moves on to the PA Senate. 

On May 2, 2023 two additional bills were passed. HB 100, passed 141-60 and would require the PA Department of Education (PDE) to establish a cross-age tutoring program for students whereby upper grade level students (grades 11-12) would tutor lower grade level students under the supervision of  a certified teacher or paraprofessional. The other bill, HB 688, also known as the PA Teacher Pipeline Scholarship program, would help address the ongoing teacher shortage by allowing college students studying to become teachers in PA state universities, state-related universities, community colleges, and independent nonprofit universities to receive a scholarship worth up to $7,000 per year, or $28,000 total. The bill passes the House by a vote of 119-81 and now moves on to the PA Senate.