Good teachers are the key to a successful education system. That is because teachers who are well trained and highly qualified can help children who are having trouble learning in school understand the material and move forward. Unfortunately, too many of our schools lack the one critical ingredient that children need to learn – teachers who can reach them and help them succeed.

I recently introduced the Master Teacher Act of 2004 to tackle the problem of under-performing schools by attracting highly qualified teachers to these schools. My legislation would reward what I call "master teachers" by exempting them from paying federal taxes on 25% of their income if they agree to teach in an under-performing school. The tax incentive would be available for individual teachers up to a four-year period.

The legislation defines under-performing schools as ones that fail to meet Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) as defined in the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLBA). It defines "master teacher" as someone who has at least five years of teaching experience in a public elementary or secondary school, holds a master’s degree, meets the definition of Highly Qualified as defined by the NCLBA, and has obtained advanced certification in their state licensing system.

The real tragedy in our education system is that so many of our schools are failing to meet AYP performance standards. As currently required by the NCLBA, 100% of our nation’s students must meet AYP standards in reading, math, and science by the 2013-14 school year. At this time, 36.6% of all Maryland schools are not meeting this standard. This is not acceptable.

I think the answer to improving school performance is to ensure that these schools attract and keep experienced, qualified teachers who can serve as a catalyst for change. One way to encourage teachers to work in under-performing schools is to create an incentive that will financially reward them for taking on such a challenge.

While all students deserve highly qualified teachers, part of the problem has been the lack of adequate funding for the NCLBA. Two years ago, Congress passed President Bush’s NCLBA initiative. The legislation goal was a lofty one: to increase achievement and upgrade teacher qualifications.

Unfortunately, while the mandates are real, funding has not been adequate to achieve this goal. Last year, the NCLBA was underfunded by about $9 billion, making it impossible to fully implement legislation. That is not the fault of the teachers or the students. This legislation deserves to be fully funded.

Our future depends on making sure our children have the education to compete and succeed. Our nation’s strength rests with the success of our educational system. That means providing our teachers and students with the resources they need to succeed. It also means being creative in finding ways to attract top teachers to schools that may be more of a challenge.

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