text: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
  
      This Act may be cited as the ``Space to Schools Act of 2010''.
  
  SEC. 2. PROGRAM.
  
      (a) Purpose.--The Secretary of Education may carry out a program 
  (in this Act referred to as the ``Program'') to--
              (1) encourage highly skilled retiring or displaced 
          aerospace professionals with backgrounds in science, 
          technology, engineering, or mathematics to pursue careers as 
          elementary, secondary, or vocational school teachers; and
              (2) promote science, technology, engineering, and 
          mathematics (STEM) education in kindergarten through grade 12 
          by encouraging aerospace professionals to pursue careers in 
          teaching.
      (b) Eligibility.--
              (1) Eligible individuals.--An individual who is eligible to 
          participate in the Program is an individual--
                      (A) who is a former employee of the National 
                  Aeronautics and Space Administration, its suppliers, or 
                  a related contractor; and
                      (B) who has relevant work experience in the 
                  aerospace industry.
              (2) School eligibility.--An eligible local education 
          agency, charter school, or vocational school may receive 
          Program participants.
      (c) Submission of Applications.--
              (1) Form and submission.--Selection of eligible individuals 
          to participate in the Program shall be made on the basis of 
          applications submitted to the Secretary of Education within the 
          time periods specified in paragraph (2). An application shall 
          be in such form and contain such information as the Secretary 
          may require.
              (2) Time for submission.--An application shall be 
          considered to be submitted on a timely basis if it submitted 
          not later than 4 years after the date on which the individual 
          is retired, separated, or released from employment in the 
          aerospace industry.
      (d) Selection Criteria.--
              (1) Establishment.--Subject to paragraphs (2) and (3), the 
          Secretary shall prescribe the criteria to be used to select 
          eligible individuals to participate in the Program.
              (2) Educational background.--
                      (A) Elementary or secondary school teacher.--If an 
                  applicant is applying for assistance for placement as 
                  an elementary or secondary school teacher, the 
                  Secretary shall require the applicant to have received 
                  a baccalaureate or advanced degree from an accredited 
                  institution of higher education in a science, 
                  technology, engineering, or mathematics field.
                      (B) Vocational or technical teacher.--If an 
                  applicant for assistance for placement as vocational or 
                  technical teacher, the Secretary shall require the 
                  applicant to have--
                              (i) received an associate degree, 
                          postsecondary training, or related 
                          certification obtained through service in the 
                          Armed Forces;
                              (ii) have 6 or more years of work 
                          experience in a vocational or technical field; 
                          or
                              (iii) otherwise meet the certification or 
                          licensing requirements for a vocational or 
                          technical teacher in the State in which the 
                          applicant seeks assistance for placement under 
                          the Program.
              (3) Termination of employment.--An applicant who was 
          terminated from previous employment for cause shall be 
          ineligible to participate in the Program.
      (e) Participation Agreement.--
              (1) In general.--An eligible individual selected to 
          participate in the Program and receive financial assistance 
          under this section shall be required to enter into an agreement 
          with the Secretary in which the participant agrees--
                      (A) within such time as the Secretary may require, 
                  to obtain certification or licensing as an elementary, 
                  secondary, vocational, or technical school teacher, and 
                  to become a highly qualified teacher; and
                      (B) to accept an offer of full-time employment as 
                  an elementary, secondary, vocational, or technical 
                  school teacher for not less than 3 school years and 
                  commit to teaching in the subjects of science, 
                  technology, engineering, or mathematics with an 
                  eligible local educational agency, charter school, or 
                  vocational school to begin the school year after 
                  obtaining such certification or licensing.
              (2) Waiver.--The Secretary may waive the 3-year commitment 
          described in paragraph (1)(B) for a participant if the 
          Secretary determined such waiver to be appropriate.
              (3) Stipends for participants.--
                      (A) Stipend authorized.--The Secretary may pay to a 
                  participant in the Program a stipend in an amount of 
                  not more than $5,000 to be used towards obtaining 
                  licensing or certification for elementary or secondary 
                  teaching or vocational teaching programs.
                      (B) Stipend bonus.--The Secretary, in lieu of 
                  paying a stipend under subparagraph (A), may pay a 
                  bonus of $10,000 to a participant in the Program who 
                  agrees in the participation agreement to become a 
                  highly qualified teacher and accept full-time 
                  employment as an elementary, secondary, vocational, or 
                  technical teacher for not less than 3 years in a high-
                  need school and teach in the subject area of science, 
                  technology, engineering, or mathematics.
      (f) Reimbursement Under Certain Circumstances.--
              (1) Reimbursement required.--A participant in the Program 
          who is paid a stipend or bonus under this section shall be 
          required to repay the stipend or bonus under the following 
          circumstances:
                      (A) Failure to obtain qualifications or 
                  employment.--The participant fails to obtain teacher 
                  certification or licensing, to become a highly 
                  qualified teacher, or to obtain employment as an 
                  elementary school teacher, secondary school teacher, or 
                  vocational or technical teacher as required by the 
                  participation agreement under subsection (e).
                      (B) Termination of employment.--The participant 
                  voluntarily leaves, or is terminated for cause from, 
                  employment as an elementary school teacher, secondary 
                  school teacher, or vocational or technical teacher 
                  during the 3 years of required service in violation of 
                  the participation agreement.
              (2) Amount of reimbursement.--A participant required to 
          reimburse the Secretary for a stipend or bonus paid to the 
          participant under this section shall pay an amount that bears 
          the same ratio to the amount of the stipend or bonus as the 
          unserved portion of required service bears to the 3 years of 
          required service. Any amount owed by the participant shall bear 
          interest at the rate equal to the highest rate being paid by 
          the United States on the day on which the reimbursement is 
          determined to be due for securities having maturities of 90 
          days or less and shall accrue from the day on which the 
          participant is first notified of the amount due.
              (3) Treatment of obligation.--The obligation to reimburse 
          the Secretary under this subsection is, for all purposes, a 
          debt owing the United States. A discharge in bankruptcy under 
          title 11, United States Code, shall not release a participant 
          from the obligation to reimburse the Secretary under this 
          subsection.
      (g) Advisory Board.--
              (1) No later than 120 days after enactment of this Act, the 
          Secretary shall establish an Advisory Board whose duties 
          include--
                      (A) collecting, considering, and disseminating 
                  feedback from participants, State educational agencies, 
                  local educational agencies, charter schools, and 
                  vocational schools on best practices for recruitment of 
                  eligible individuals to participate in the Program;
                      (B) ensuring elementary schools, secondary schools, 
                  and vocational schools are aware of the Program and how 
                  to participate in it;
                      (C) developing guidelines to help individuals 
                  selected to participate in the Program identify and 
                  enroll in licensing or certification training for 
                  elementary or secondary education teaching or 
                  vocational teaching programs; and
                      (D) coordinating the goals of the Program with 
                  other Federal, State, and local education needs.
              (2) No later than 1 year after the date of enactment of 
          this Act, and annually thereafter, prepare and submit a report 
          to the Committee on Education and Labor of the House of 
          Representatives and the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, 
          and Pensions of the Senate, which shall include--
                      (A) information with respect to the activities of 
                  the Advisory Board;
                      (B) information with respect to the Program, 
                  including--
                              (i) the number of participants in the 
                          Program;
                              (ii) the number of States participating in 
                          the Program;
                              (iii) the local educational agencies and 
                          schools where participants are employed;
                              (iv) the grade levels at which the 
                          participants teach;
                              (v) the academic subjects taught by 
                          participants;
                              (vi) the hours of clinical and classroom 
                          time participants completed during the 
                          certification or licensing required for 
                          participation in the Program;
                              (vii) a review of the stipend and bonus 
                          available to participants; and
                              (viii) other demographic information as may 
                          be necessary to evaluate the effectiveness of 
                          the Program; and
                      (C) recommendations for improvements and other 
                  necessary changes to ensure that the Program is meeting 
                  the purpose as described in subsection (a).
      (h) Definitions.--In this Act:
              (1) In general.--The terms ``elementary school'', ``highly 
          qualified''; ``local educational agency'', ``secondary 
          school'', ``State educational agency'', and ``State'' have the 
          meaning given the terms in section 9101 of the Elementary and 
          Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).
              (2) Charter school.--The term ``charter school'' has the 
          meaning given such term in section 5210 of the Elementary and 
          Secondary Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7221i).
              (3) Eligible local educational agency.--The term ``eligible 
          local educational agency'' means a local educational agency 
          receiving funding under part A of title I of the Elementary and 
          Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6311 et seq.).
              (4) High-need school.--The term ``high-need school'' means 
          an elementary school, secondary school, or vocational school 
          under the jurisdiction of an eligible local educational agency, 
          or a charter school, or vocational school, where at least 50 
          percent of the students enrolled in the school are--
                      (A) in poverty counted in the most recent census 
                  data approved by the Secretary;
                      (B) eligible for free and reduced priced lunches 
                  under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act 
                  (42 U.S.C. 1751 et seq.);
                      (C) in families receiving assistance under the 
                  State program funded under part A of title IV of the 
                  Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 601 et seq.); or
                      (D) eligible to receive medical assistance under 
                  the State Medicaid program under title XIX of the 
                  Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396 et seq.).
              (5) Institution of higher education.--The term 
          ``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given such 
          term in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
          U.S.C. 1001).
              (6) Vocational school.--The term ``vocational school'' 
          means--
                      (A) a specialized public secondary school used 
                  exclusively or principally for the provision of 
                  vocational and technical education to individuals who 
                  are available for study in preparation for entering the 
                  labor market; or
                      (B) the department or division of an institution of 
                  higher education that provides vocational and technical 
                  education in not fewer than five different occupational 
                  fields leading to immediate employment but not 
                  necessarily leading to a baccalaureate degree.
              (7) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
          of Education.
      (i) Authorization of Appropriations.--
              (1) In general.--There are authorized to be appropriated 
          $20,000,000 to carry out this Act for fiscal year 2011 and each 
          of fiscal years 2012 through 2014.
              (2) No fiscal year limitation on funding.--Funds 
          appropriated under paragraph (1) shall remain available until 
          expended.
target: Space to Schools Act of 2010 - Authorizes the Secretary of Education to implement a program to encourage individuals who are former employees of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), its suppliers, or related contractors who have relevant work experience in the aerospace industry to pursue careers as elementary, secondary, or vocational school teachers.
  
  Sets forth educational background requirements for program participants.
  
  Requires program participants to enter into an agreement to: (1) obtain certification or licensing as an elementary, secondary, vocational, or technical school teacher, and to become a highly qualified teacher; and (2) accept an offer of full-time employment as an elementary, secondary, vocational, or technical school teacher for at least three school years and commit to teaching science, technology, engineering, or mathematics after obtaining such certification or licensing.
  
  Directs the Secretary to provide program participants with: (1) a stipend for use in obtaining certification or licensing; or (2) a larger bonus if they agree to perform their service in high-need schools.
  
  Requires the Secretary to establish an Advisory Board to oversee the program.
feat_title: To authorize the Secretary of Education to establish a program for displaced aerospace professionals to become certified elementary, secondary, or vocational school teachers.