Teacher Quality Improvements
By: Marchelle McConnell
Updated: August 6, 2009
There are two main aims of the proposal. The first is to improve the quality of teachers by requiring teachers to get certificed in their specific subject areas. The other is to streamline license renewal.
Tony Bennett the Indiana’s Superintendent of Public Education says “Its always for students in Indiana. Anything we do, any step we take, in the Indiana Department of Education is to be focused on students.”
The National Council for Teacher quality gave Indiana a "D" on licensing and teacher quality in 2008. This is one way the state is working to improve that rating.
Bennett says “This is an effort to make recertification of our current teachers better and more flexible. But it is also an opportunity for current teachers to add content areas.”
Krista Stockman the Public Information Officer for Fort Wayne Community Schools says “What is most important to us is that we have well trained and qualified teachers in our classrooms.”
Bennett says teachers like the idea of being able to get re-certified by attending workshops instead of paying tuition to take classes.
Bennett says “We received mounds of e-mails thanking us because we have made teacher recertification more practical, more focused on becoming a better teacher, and frankly more economical.”
But Fort Wayne Community schools say they haven’t heard much feedback of any kind.
Current teachers dont need to worry about the changes. They will be able to continue teaching under the new proposal.
If passed, formal changes will take place in July of next year.
