Licensing proposal won’t hurt teachers

Opinion

Discussion

October 31, 2009

by Tony Bennett Pharos-Tribune Sat Oct 31, 2009, 11:20 PM EDT

Despite what they may have been told, current teachers who study Indiana’s proposed rules for educator preparation and licensing will be very happy with the recommendations. While egregious misconceptions about the proposed revisions are rampant in the education establishment, in truth the REPA proposal will have no negative or burdensome effects on current teachers.

I’d like to clear up some of the most common misunderstandings.

First, the changes will not cause any teachers to lose their licenses or their jobs. All currently licensed educators will be licensed to teach the same grade levels and content areas under the REPA, and license endorsements for current teachers will transfer to their new licenses. The REPA will not eliminate licenses for school psychologists, speech-language pathologists, counselors or social workers. Teachers won’t be required to go back to school or pass “relicensing tests” to keep their licenses.

The aspects of the REPA that will affect current teachers increase freedom and flexibility. The REPA will allow teachers to add endorsements to their licenses by passing the PRAXIS II exam in each endorsement area. Those who know teachers understand that educators spend countless hours in professional development trainings and in-service opportunities. Current rules make it difficult for teachers to count this continuing education toward renewing their licenses. Consequently, most teachers renew their licenses by earning six credit hours of university or college credit every five years. That can get expensive, potentially costing a teacher thousands of dollars over the course of a career. The REPA proposal gives teachers the option to pursue college credit at their own expense or count the professional development and in-service opportunities they already acquire.

For teachers who hold Accomplished Practitioner licenses, the REPA will allow them to renew every 10 years, instead of every five years as required by the current licensing system.

For new teachers, the REPA will not eliminate pedagogy requirements for teaching candidates, as some have suggested. The changes aim to strike a better balance between content and pedagogy as well as to focus on that pedagogical training that is most essential. Under the REPA proposal, all teaching candidates will be required to complete nine weeks of student teaching — without exception.

Like many Hoosiers, I strongly support efforts to transition career-changing professionals into education. Within five years, one quarter of Indiana’s math and science teachers will be eligible for retirement. Last year just 7 percent of new teaching licenses were issued in math, and 6 percent were issued in science.

Despite the impending shortage of great math and science teachers, new alternative licensing programs are not a part of the proposal in its updated form. The changes merely allow for review of new alternative programs at some later date to determine if they are a good option for preparing Indiana’s teachers. Indiana students can benefit greatly from experienced professionals who transition to careers in education, and we should support programs that encourage professionals in other fields to become teachers.

Another benefit of the proposed rule is that it ensures Indiana’s teachers will meet the mandated requirements of the Highly Qualified Teacher provision within the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act, which calls for advanced content-area training for middle and secondary teachers.

Finally, I want to stress the department’s openness in this rule-changing process. We will continue to listen to and address meaningful concerns.

Our goal is to develop the best teacher licensing regulations to improve K-12 education.

I urge teachers, parents and other interested people to visit the department’s REPA Web site (www.doe.in.gov/REPA) to see for themselves what these changes will and won’t do.

• Tony Bennett is state superintendent for public instruction.

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