The majority of parents want their child’s teacher to be qualified to teach. They also want them to be properly certified. Are there valid reasons for states to hire non-certified and unqualified teachers?
Currently there are around 17,000 non-certified teachers working in state schools. Non-certified teachers are taking positions such as substitute teachers, counselors, and non-core subject teachers. Many questions arise as to their type of training and making them officially qualified to teach and work with students.
Not a New Idea
The idea of non-certified staff working in our schools is nothing new. Research on teacher certification, quality, and effectiveness on student achievement is inconclusive and much debated. Some research states that certification does not effect student achievement and other studies, commissioned by the U.S. State Department of Education, claim that certification and academic major are associated with increased gains in student achievement. However, overall findings from these studies indicate that teacher subject-matter knowledge is important to student achievement.
Some politicians believe that experts in their field should be able to work in schools without a teacher’s certificate. They believe that all it takes for a person to be a teacher is subject matter knowledge and a passion for the subject.
In Wisconsin, last year, Scott Walker proposed a bill that people with experience in fields they intended to teach could get a license as long as they had a bachelor’s degree and were able to demonstrate that he or she was proficient in the subject. That is not good enough.
The Stance of Educators
Many teachers’ unions state that hiring certified, qualified teachers is necessary for educational systems. Certified teachers understand behavior management. They understand differentiated learning methods for our diverse classrooms. Knowledge of a subject is not enough. Just because you know something doesn’t mean you can teach it. Many times, students need to be motivated to learn. Educators must be able to assess learning. Educators need to be accountable to parents and students. Students need a certified, quality teacher that understands and follows best practices in educational methods and pedagogy for today’s classrooms. They need a toolbox full of strategies to assist their students in the learning process. This toolbox is built through education classes, professional development, other colleagues, and research that have accumulated over years of schooling.
A Growing Concern
There is growing concern from educators and parents in placing people in teaching situations without proper training or having the proper license. If schools insist on employing non-certified and unqualified staff, they need to be willing to train people to become certified and qualified to teach. In an education system that has become fragile, our children deserve the best. We need to have our children well prepared to face and solve problems in the world in which we live.
