Amy Holland has been teaching for 34 years. She has a bachelor’s
degree in sociology, a minor in history, a master’s in special
education and a lifetime standard credential in K-8.
But, according to the federal government, she may not be
competent to teach.
Under the No Child Left Behind Act, all public schools receiving
federal money must make sure teachers meet a
”
highly qualified teacher
”
benchmark by the 2005-06 school year. Highly qualified means
that a teacher must be certified to teach in their state, must hold
at least a bachelor’s degree and must show a mastery of subjects
they teach, possibly through a test.
Holland said making veteran teachers take a test to prove
competency is a
”
slap in the face.
”
Amy Holland has been teaching for 34 years. She has a bachelor’s degree in sociology, a minor in history, a master’s in special education and a lifetime standard credential in K-8.
But, according to the federal government, she may not be competent to teach.
Under the No Child Left Behind Act, all public schools receiving federal money must make sure teachers meet a “highly qualified teacher” benchmark by the 2005-06 school year. Highly qualified means that a teacher must be certified to teach in their state, must hold at least a bachelor’s degree and must show a mastery of subjects they teach, possibly through a test.
Holland said making veteran teachers take a test to prove competency is a “slap in the face.”
“I feel that No Child Left Behind has some good points behind it,” said Holland, a second-grade teacher at Gabilan Hills School. “It’s just another hoop that teachers have to go through. New teachers have a lot to go through and start in the profession.”
While almost half of the nation’s middle and high school teachers were not highly qualified in 2000, local school districts are currently better off. At San Benito High School, of 71 veteran teachers, 58 meet the qualification as well as four of five new teachers.
Of the 337 teachers within the Hollister School District, 320 meet the highly qualified standards, seven are on emergency permits and 10 are participating in pre-intern programs.
Educators said potential layoffs scared many teachers into completing their credential program.
“With the layoffs last spring, there was a sense of urgency to complete their credentialing work,” said Bill Jordan, director of human resources for the HSD. “Also, we were just looking for people who were highly qualified.”
It’s up to each state to decide how their teachers will meet the highly qualified mark. California plans on implementing a competency test – the High Objective Uniform State Standard Evaluation, or HOUSE.
Educators and administrators have heard nothing more about HOUSE – what it will test or how. Many administrators feel the highly qualified teacher provision will push veteran teachers into early retirement or new teachers into the private sector.
The Bush administration purports that the highly qualified teacher requirement will increase student achievement by ensuring students are taught by competent people. Jordan sees the reason for teacher competency.
“Philosophically, I agree with what they are trying to do. There’s a gap between philosophy and reality,” he said. “It definitely ups the ante for us – to look for qualified people and I think that’s a good thing.”
But, local educators don’t see any impact on students.
Evelyn Muro, director of human resources at the SBHS District, doesn’t see much impact on students with the new requirements because they are more “behind the scenes,” she said.
Also, being able to relate to students and teach is just as important as knowing how to solve math problems, she said.
“I think parents, students, the community need to be assured that teachers are competent in the area they’re teaching. I think we need to ensure that,” Muro said. “Subject matter competency is no guarantee that a person will be a good teacher.”
The highly qualified teacher requirement is a Band-Aid for a problem that should be fixed at the college level when teachers are earning their bachelor’s, Muro said. Teachers earn a bachelor’s degree in four years, enroll in a credentialing program for one more year and have to be credentialed by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing.
New elementary school teachers must pass a “rigorous” state test to show teaching skills and knowledge in reading, writing, math and other areas of basic elementary curriculum. New middle or high school teachers must pass a rigorous test in all academic subjects they teach – or they must hold an academic major, the coursework equivalent of a major, a graduate degree or advanced certification or credentials in all subjects they teach. For example, up until now, a high school math teacher may not necessarily have a degree in math.
Teachers not new to the profession, or veteran teachers, have the same options that new teachers have to prove they are competent in areas they teach, but can also be deemed highly qualified if they meet a standard set by their state.
By 2005-06, no teachers with temporary, emergency or provisional waivers will be considered highly qualified.
Most school districts are in wait-and-see mode since many imperatives get changed or reworked, like the two-year stay on the high school exit exam.
“The proof of success is how your students do, not how you take a test,” Holland said.
