[KACT] Fwd: Regents
- From: "Kelly Deters" <kellymdeters@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: "EOlmstea@xxxxxxxx" <EOlmstea@xxxxxxxx>, KACT <kact@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 2 Apr 2007 09:41:32 -0500
Here's Terry's point of view from a small school--very important in our
state!
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Terry Tinich <tinicht@xxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Apr 2, 2007 9:30 AM
Subject: Regents
To: Kelly Deters <kellymdeters@xxxxxxxxx>
I agree with your assessment of Phys Sci -- let me add my observations
to the situation. We are a 3A school, having 2 science teachers. I am
certified in Chem/Phys and the other in Bio. Kansas, with their
stricter-than-average certification policy, does not allow someone to
teach out of their area. (In some other states, smaller schools are
allowed a small percentage of classes to be taught
out-of-certification.) I have taught ES for 33 years in two other
states but cannot teach it here because of "certification rules". In
the same thought, a person certified just in ES cannot teach anything
else. In a smaller school (probably 3A and below), unless a person can
get certified in another area, a person with an ES certification could
not teach anything else and thus would not be hirable, as they would not
have another class to teach.
Here in Pomona we teach Physical Science as a required (for graduation)
class, primarily to give non-science students exposure to the physical
sciences and, now, for the upcoming state testing. However, my freshman
class is composed of the higher level students. I have approximately 60
labs during the year and go deeper into the subject than do the other PS
classes. Yet, this more advanced class cannot be counted as a Regents
class. I definitely agree, if you can name a class "correctly" you can
get it past the regents requirements, despite what is taught (per your
example of calling a class ES but teaching it thru PS principles) and
how rigorous the course material is.
This coming year we will be consolidating but still be a 3A school.
Because of retirement we were able to hire an ES certified teacher.,
which was not an easy task. Otherwise, we would have had 2
bio-certified teachers and not be able to offer an ES class.
Finally, I wish the State and Board of Regents can get together and make
one set of standards for us to follow.
--
Terry J. Tinich
Chemistry/Physics Instructor
Pomona High School
Pomona, KS 66067
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