National Teacher Act of 1989

National Teacher Act of 1989 - Title I: Loan Forgiveness for Teachers - Directs the Secretary of Education (the Secretary) to assume the obligation to repay specified portions of a Stafford loan (a student loan made, insured, or guaranteed under specified provisions of the Higher Education Act of 1965) for any borrower employed as a full-time teacher in a public or nonprofit private elementary or secondary school which is: (1) in the school district of a local educational agency eligible for assistance under chapter 1 of the Education Consolidation and Improvement Act of 1981; and (2) determined to have more than 30 percent of its enrollment made up of children who are counted under specified provisions of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. Limits the number of schools which may be involved.

Provides for cancellation of increasing portions of such student loans for a one to five-year period of such teaching service. Provides also for forgiveness of portions of student loans for borrowers who return to higher education after graduation to obtain a teaching certificate. Provides for repayment of such specified portions of principal and interest by the Secretary to the eligible lender or holder.

Title II: Class Size Research and Demonstration Project - Class Size Demonstration Act of 1989 - Directs the Secretary to make demonstration grants to local educational agencies having elementary and secondary schools with large classes in order to demonstrate the advantages of reducing the size of classes.

Provides for the Federal share of program payments.

Authorizes appropriations for FY 1990 through 1994.

Title III: Model Programs in Teacher Preparation and Promising Practices - Authorizes the Secretary to pay to State and local educational agencies, State higher education agencies, institutions of higher education, individual elementary or secondary schools, or nonprofit private organizations the Federal share of costs of establishing and operating model programs demonstrating: (1) effective and innovative approaches to teacher preparation; (2) effective methods for alternative preparation; and (3) promising practices for teacher classroom instruction or site-based organizational management with the participation of teachers.

Sets forth special rules and priorities relating to such grant awards and their size and scope, and examples of types of projects for which such funds may be used.

Authorizes appropriations for FY 1991 through 1996.

Title IV: New Careers for Teachers - Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to eligible recipients to pay the Federal share of costs of establishing and operating programs to attract minority candidates to teaching careers. Makes eligible for such grants consortia of institutions of higher education and local educational agencies working with the State educational agency and the appropriate State or local teacher credentialing body.

Provides that such grants shall be for five years and awarded under a competitive bidding process.

Allows grant funds to be used to pay tuition, release time, and child care stipends for program participants.

Directs the Secretary to provide for continuing evaluation of such projects and report to the Congress two years after enactment of this Act.

Authorizes appropriations for FY 1990 through 1994.

Title V: National Teacher Academies - Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to institutions of higher education, private nonprofit education organizations, or combinations of such entities to establish and operate national teacher academies. Requires one such academy in each of the following subject areas commonly taught in elementary and secondary schools: (1) mathematics; (2) English, reading, and language arts; (3) civics and government; (4) basic skills and literacy instruction; (5) the arts, including art, music, and the performing arts; (6) history and geography; (7) economics; (8) life sciences; (9) physical sciences; and (10) foreign languages. Requires academy staff to be selected from the most accomplished and prominent scholars in the relevant fields.

Provides that such grants shall be for five years, and awarded under a competitive bidding process. Requires special consideration for eligible recipients that have demonstrated effectiveness in establishing and administrating a national network of individuals who assist in teacher training programs at State and local levels. Limits such awards to eligible applicants who have demonstrated expertise in both the subject area and in-service teacher training.

Requires grant funds to be used for: (1) in-service training for teachers and administrators; (2) summer institutes; (3) leadership team training for congressional district academies; and (4) support services for congressional district academies, including national networks of individuals, consulting assistance, and information services. Requires that specified numbers of school administrators and teachers from each congressional district participate in summer institutes.

Directs the Secretary to evaluate the work of each national academy biennially, and make evaluation results available to the Congress and the public.

Authorizes appropriations for FY 1990 through 1994.

Title VI: Congressional District Teacher Academies - Directs the Secretary to allot to each State educational agency funds to establish and operate congressional district teacher academies. Requires that one such academy be established in each congressional district in each of the subject areas specified under title V provisions for national teacher academies. Allows the State educational agency to combine several of the authorized congressional district academies into a single academy in States where several congressional districts serve a local educational agency, or in States of small geographic size (containing less than three congressional districts).

Provides that such grants shall be for five years, and renewable, and awarded under a competitive bidding process.

Provides that academies for specified U.S. territories and possessions in the Pacific are to be combined into a single academy for each subject area, and administered by the Center for the Advancement of Pacific Education, in Honolulu, Hawaii, or its successor.

Requires that such grant funds shall be used to: (1) provide in-service training programs for teachers; and (2) pay costs of release time, stipends, college or university credit, curricular materials, and other expenses.

Requires eligible recipients to establish: (1) a three-person leadership team if they want a grant under this title; and (2) a ten-member steering committee if they want a grant under this Act.

Requires each State educational agency receiving financial assistance under this title to evaluate biennially the work of each congressional district academy and report to the Secretary. Directs the Secretary to submit a summary of such reports to the Congress biennially.

Authorizes appropriations for FY 1990 through 1994.