Addressing Teacher Shortages Act of 2026

This bill, titled the Addressing Teacher Shortages Act of 2026, creates a federal grant program to help schools and school districts recruit and keep high-quality teachers, with a focus on rural areas, high-need subjects like STEM and special education, and underrepresented communities. The program provides competitive grants to eligible entities such as local school districts for at least five years to fund activities like teaching residencies, mentor programs, Grow Your Own initiatives that train local community members as teachers, and 2+2 partnerships between community colleges and universities. Grant recipients must match federal funds with non-federal contributions unless waived due to economic hardship, and the program prioritizes applications that include partnerships with minority-serving institutions and prepare paraprofessionals or substitute teachers for licensure.