Did you happen see this article about teachers lacking training in their subjects?
Sounds like there are good opportunities for those well-trained, though is doesn't mention CA.
We got around to "Monster's Ball" last night. We enjoyed it as a good story. However, we both agreed that in no way did Haile Berry deserve an Oscar for acting ability per se in terms of range and difficulty of the role. (I think she pretty much just had to play herself).
Study: Fourth of classes taught by teachers
untrained in subject
By Greg Toppo, Associated Press, 8/22/2002
WASHINGTON - Twenty-four percent of public middle- and high-school
classes are taught by teachers not trained in the subjects, and the percentage
is higher in schools that serve poor and minority students, according to a report
released yesterday.
The issue will receive
broad attention this fall
when the federal
government, for the first
time, requires schools to
tell parents when their
children are being taught
by such teachers.
''It's clear that
administrators have yet to
get the message that they
have to stop assigning
teachers out of field,'' said
Craig Jerald of the
Education Trust, the Washington group that released the report. ''Sure, shortages
make it more difficult to tackle this problem, but there's good evidence that a lot of
this is under our control.''
The Education Trust, a nonprofit organization that advocates on behalf of urban
and minority students, said statistics on teacher qualifications have not changed
since 1993.
Part of an education plan signed in January by President Bush requires that if an
instructor is assigned to a subject he is not qualified to teach, the principal must
send home a note letting parents know within a month.
Jerald said the requirement ''will create a hunger for the data reports that come out,
and the data reports will embarrass state and local officials to do something on a
systemwide basis.''
Paul Houston, executive director of the American Association of School
Administrators, said the issue is not that simple.
''It's not like people are sitting around saying, `Let's fill these classrooms with
people who are not qualified,''' he said. ''If the people aren't there and aren't willing
to work for these [school] systems, you're going to have a problem.''
The report was based on a random survey completed periodically by about 55,000
teachers for the Education Department.
The Education Trust examined responses from 16,000 secondary school teachers
in the most recent survey, from the 1999-2000 school year.
The group looked at whether classes in four core subjects - English, math, science,
and social studies - were assigned to a teacher who lacked a college major or
minor in that field or a related field.
Nationally, 24.2 percent of classes met those criteria, but 12 states had more than
30 percent taught by teachers who did not. In four states - Delaware, Louisiana,
New Mexico, and Tennessee - the average exceeded one-third.
In schools that serve mostly poor students, nearly twice as many courses are taught
by out-of-field teachers as in schools with few poor students, the analysis found.
The problem also is worse in schools that mostly serve minority students: 29
percent compared with 21 percent for schools that have low minority enrollments.
Houston said school districts should consider offering incentives such as tax credits
to qualified teachers who are willing to work in such areas.
''It's going to take more than simply telling people to do better,'' he said.
This story ran on page A2 of the Boston Globe on 8/22/2002.
© Copyright 2002 Globe Newspaper Company.
© Copyright 2002 New York Times Company
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