Joanne Jacobs blogs about the latest disastrous educational news - only 54% of teachers can be considered to be "highly qualified" in the middle-school or high-school subject matter that they teach, according to a recent Congressional report:
Federal law defines highly qualified teachers as those who hold a bachelor's degree from a four-year college, have state certification and demonstrate competence in the subject they teach...
Department officials used the federal definition as a guide in their report to assess teacher qualifications from the 1999-2000 school year. Only 54 percent of secondary teachers were highly qualified, the report said.
The "highly qualified" requirement law was created in 2002, and it gives schools until 2005 to fill every core-subject classroom with highly qualified teachers as they are defined here. The National Education Association, unsurprisingly, is planning to sue.
Education Secretary Rod Paige is confident that schools will meet the challenge. He's a bit vague as to the details, of course, but says "it will be done." Joanne Jacobs replies:
It will not be done. It can't be done. Not unless "highly qualified" is redefined as "having a pulse."
That's exactly what will happen. "Highly qualified" will be defined downwards, under pressure of time and the NEA. State certification and demonstration of competence will almost always be measured with some sort of standardized exam, and the union will probably sue on behalf of any litigants who fail the exam. Remove the testing requirement, and what's left is the bachelor's degree requirement. If the degree doesn't have to be in the subject area that will be eventually taught, that requirement is pretty much useless.
Posted by kswygert at July 17, 2003 11:04 AM