Aug. 3, 2003 12:00 AM
Teachers must be highly qualified in the subjects they teach and classroom aides
must have a two-year degree or pass a test.
It's less likely that the boys high school football coach will be doubling as
a math teacher, unless the coach was a math major in college.
The new federal law requires teachers of seventh-graders and up to have 24 college
credits in the subject they teach (eight college courses), or pass a state test
in that subject.
The law already applies to new hires in about half of Arizona's schools, which
receive the largest share of federal funds, and will apply to all teachers in
all schools by 2005-06.
Of Arizona's nearly 46,000 district teachers, more than 3,100 don't meet the
qualifications.
The state will give principals more time if they can show they're making an
effort to find teachers with qualifications that meet the new federal standards.
The federal mandate may also apply to your child's classroom aide. Newly hired
classroom aides in most Arizona schools must have two years of college or pass
a state test this year. Veteran classroom aides have until 2005-06 to meet the
qualifications.
So far, Kotterman said she hasn't heard of aides being pushed out of jobs.
Principal Jim Paxino said two of his four aides at Tolleson's P.H. Gonzales
Elementary are taking "a pretty reasonable" grammar and math test
this year.
"I bought them the study guides," Paxino said. "The feedback
is that they're feeling pretty confident."
TIP FOR PARENTS: Find out what subjects and grade levels your child's teacher
is qualified to teach by asking the teacher or principal. It's also helpful
to know how many years your teacher has been an instructor in that subject.
Check out your school's overall teacher qualifications at www.greatschools.net.
Find this article at:
http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0803qualifications03.html