Reply #5: Ah, yes, Senate language approved teachers not being certified. [View All]

[madfloridian]

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/answer-sheet/congress/a-highly-qualified-gift-from-c.html

"Should teachers still in training programs be considered “highly qualified” to teach kids?

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit recently ruled that they aren’t, but some members of Congress think so.

Senators have included in key legislation language that would allow teachers still in training to be considered “highly qualified” so they can meet a standard set in the federal No Child Left Behind law.

..."Allowing non-certified teachers to be considered “highly qualified” would be a gift to programs such as Teach for America, which gives newly graduated college students from elite institutions five weeks of summer training before sending them into low-performing schools. Teach for America participants, who commit to staying in the program for two years, then continue education studies while they are teaching."