K12> 'No Child' Requirements Eased for Rural Teachers

From: Gleason Sackmann <gleason@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: NetHappenings <nethappenings@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Tue, 16 Mar 2004 10:00:00 -0600
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Net Happenings - From Educational CyberPlayGround
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Date:         Mon, 15 Mar 2004 18:11:46 EST
From:         Bonnie Bracey <BBracey@xxxxxxx>
Subject:      'No Child' Requirements Eased for Rural Teachers
To:           K12ADMIN@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

washingtonpost.com
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A60867-2004Mar15?language=printer

By Ben Feller
Associated Press
Monday, March 15, 2004; 5:24 PM
The nation's schools, under deadline to get a top teacher in every core
class, have won some wiggle room in areas where the task hasn't survived a
collision with local reality.
Rural teachers, science teachers and those who teach multiple subjects will
get leeway in showing they are highly qualified under federal law, the
Education Department said Monday.
Perhaps the biggest change will be in rural, isolated regions, where
thousands of teachers will get an extra year -- until spring 2007, three years 
from
now -- to show they are qualified in all their classes. New rural teachers will
get three years from their hire date.
The easing of rules is the latest effort by the Bush administration to show
it is trying to answer the biggest concerns about the No Child Left Behind Act
without weakening the law. Critics have said for months that the law makes
some teaching jobs even harder to fill.
"We listened to educators from across the country, and we learned," Education
Secretary Rod Paige said. He said the new guidance will help states but also
ensure that the "highest standards for qualified teachers -- so imperative to
student success -- remain intact."
The law is at the center of Bush's domestic agenda, and his officials face a
public relations challenge as more schools pop up on "needing improvement"
lists, state leaders talk of federal intrusion and congressional Democrats
complain of shaky federal enforcement.
All states must have highly qualified teachers in all core subjects, from
math to history, by the end of the 2005-06 school year. "Highly qualified" 
means
teachers must have a bachelor's degree, state certification and proven
knowledge in their subjects.
Yet in practical terms, some schools have found the requirement exasperating,
particularly for teachers who handle multiple subjects. To show they are
competent in their subjects, current teachers must pass a test in each topic, 
hold
a college degree in that field or meet a standard of expertise set by their
state.
Now, rural teachers will have extra time to prove they are qualified in all
their subjects, provided they are highly qualified in at least one subject and
get training in the others. The change will affect an estimated one-third of
school districts.
Alyson Mike, who teaches at East Valley Middle School in East Helena, Mont.,
said the extra year "won't make a darn bit of difference" for teachers who
handle several subjects. Despite the new leeway, the law will force some 
teachers
back to school, she said. Mike, her state's teacher of the year, said it's
not even clear if she meets the law's terms.
"A lot of people I know that teach in small towns, they're making $25,000 a
year if they're lucky," she said. "To go back to school to get another couple
of degrees, I don't see it happening."
But Tracey Bailey, a former teacher of the year from Florida, said many
teachers appreciate what the law means: They should not be assigned to classes 
out
of their field.
"It's not fair to the teacher, it's not fair to the student, and it's not
academically productive," said Bailey, who helped the department gather views
from teachers nationwide.
In another change, states can allow science teachers to show they are highly
qualified in the broad field of science -- not necessarily in chemistry,
biology, or every field of science they teach. States can decide whether to 
require
mastery of individual science disciplines.
The third change is more procedural. Under law, states must set a standard
that current teachers can meet to show they are qualified in each subject
without having to take a test or get a new degree -- an option, the department 
says,
that continues to get overlooked.
The new guidance says that teachers of multiple subjects don't have to go
through this state evaluation process for each topic they teach; just once is
fine if states choose.
"The department has done more today to show states how they can avoid
addressing teacher quality problems than help them address the substance of 
these
problems," said Ross Wiener, policy director for The Education Trust, which
advocates for poor and minority students.
The changes take effect immediately, and more are coming. The department is
re-examining a testing provision that requires participation from 95 percent of
students.
It's unclear how many teachers are unqualified under the law, mainly because
the states' collection of that data is inconsistent, a problem the department
is working to fix.
Ultimately, "highly qualified" may mean something quite different from
Alabama to Wyoming, mainly because the states define quality for veteran 
teachers
without needing federal approval.
The law also does not spell out specific penalties for states that don't get
a top teacher in every core class by the deadline. Department officials say
they will recognize those that make good-faith efforts, but they warn of
withholding money for those that don't.


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K12> 'No Child' Requirements Eased for Rural Teachers

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