Alternative Teacher Licensure

http://www.kare11.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=900178

After reading the article about alternative teacher licensing, it really does seem like it will be one of the most contentious education issues of the session. The purpose and goal of the session is to license teachers through a different process than the current one. The process is known as Teach for America. This process allows for professionals that have a current four-year degree in any subject, to take a course over the summer to learn "how to teach".

Their reasons for establishing new ways for teachers to get their license is to have a variety of ranks in the classrooms and fill shortages in certain areas. While this idea makes sense and could have great outcomes it really only advocates for mid-career professionals that wish to get into classrooms and share their expertise. Like the article states, there is more controversy for easing restrictions on new college graduates. I definitely have strong feelings towards this topic because I feel that certain areas in education such as Special Education need to have strong, intense training. This area is not something that someone with a four-year degree in Accounting should be allowed to teach, just because they have taken a summer course about teaching.

After two years in this program the teachers from Teach for America become alumni to the program and have the opportunity to go back to school and get their teaching license. I think this is a great way to promote going back to school to get a teaching license, however I do not think they should be teaching alone in the classroom before that is accomplished. I think that Teach for America should follow similar steps that a student teacher would encounter such as never being alone in the classroom and various observations from an experienced and possibly retired teacher.