Texas may raise standards for alternative teacher certification
The Dallas Morning News reports that the Texas State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC), which licenses teachers, is considering a new rule requiring alternative certification programs to accept only students who maintained a 2.5 grade-point average or better in college. So-called "alt-cert" teachers also would be required to go through a set amount of training hours before being assigned to a classroom. With nearly 20% of all public school teachers and approximately 50% of all new teachers each year products of alt-cert training programs, the proposal is taking on greater importance because those numbers mirror a national trend. Arrayed in favor of the new rules are state education officials, teachers colleges, teachers groups, and most school district hiring officers. They say stricter state regulation will enhance teacher quality and improve public school student performance. Opponents include for-profit companies that run alt-cert programs, high-poverty urban school districts, and rural school districts. The companies don't want to limit their customer base. The school districts have trouble attracting teachers and believe the expanded pool of job candidates that alt-cert programs produce is good for them.
Sandi Jacobs, vice president of the National Council on Teacher Quality, said alt-cert programs are intended to help talented people enter the classroom, not just anybody. She supports stricter regulations. Traditional university-based programs require a minimum GPA for teacher trainees and at least 12 weeks of closely supervised student teaching before graduation. The state does not require alt-cert operators to screen applicants for a minimum GPA. And they usually consider the first year of actual teaching as a post-employment internship. No one knows the answer to one key question: Are traditionally trained teachers better classroom instructors than alt-cert teachers? Ed Fuller, a University of Texas education professor, said he knows of no research or data that provides an answer. Research does show that alt-cert teachers are more likely to end up teaching minority children in high-poverty schools. On average, they are more likely to leave the teaching profession than university-trained teachers, he said. “They [alternative certification candidates] are learning to teach on your kids,” Fuller said. “Why should we let people learn how to teach and experiment on poor kids when rich white kids don't get teachers like that?” But many alt-cert program operators argue against judging their customers on old college grades and/or requiring them to get extra training before teaching—especially if they had successful careers between college and their entry into teaching. Often, mid-career professionals work full time while going through alternative certification, and they find it difficult to commit extra time to a training program before getting a paycheck for teaching.
Source: Dallas Morning News, 6/22/08, By Katherine Leal Unmuth