Volume 18, Issue 3
November, 2009
MCALLEN AFT NEWS
MAKING A DIFFERENCE
A NEW TEST FOR ELEMENTARY TEACHERS?
In a Dallas Morning News column, William McKenzie attempted to tackle the subject of teacher quality and focused on a question raised by federal education officials about the appropriate certification testing of elementary-school teachers in Texas. ("Texas teachers: Feds are right to insist upon "highly qualified" certification," Oct. 27, 2009)
McKenzie stresses that complying with a new-found technical definition of "highly qualified" under federal law for certain elementary school teachers is key in ensuring that we are "improving the teacher corps."
The feds assert that to be "highly qualified" requires teachers to obtain certification in subjects that they don't teach. McKenzie, like many others, is reading the words "highly qualified" without delving into what this really means.
A look at a fictional "Our Town ISD" should help illustrate one sort of perversity that would result from putting this technical compliance before common sense. Like most districts in Texas, Our Town high schools cover four years--
9th through 12th grade. Our Town middle schools also cover four years--6th grade through 8th. Most Our Town elementary schools are pre-Kindergarten through 5th grade, but a few still go through 6th grade.
Joe attends 6th grade at North Town Middle School. He has different teachers for each "core" subject, including math, English, science, and social studies. To be considered "highly qualified" under federal law, each of Joe's teachers must have passed a state exam covering the subject that he or she teaches.
Maria attends 6th grade at West Town Elementary School. Like Joe, she has different teachers for each "core" subject: math, English, science, and social studies. To be considered "highly qualified" under federal law--according to the US Department of Education's latest announcement--each of Maria's teachers must have passed a state exam covering "reading, writing, mathematics, and other areas of the basic elementary school curriculum," without regard to the subject that he or she teaches.
Does it make any sense that a sixth grade math teacher at a middle school should be judged with a different standard than a sixth grade math teacher at an elementary school? Why should the building in which a student attends sixth grade determine the standard for whether or not a teacher is "highly qualified?" Perhaps William McKenzie needs to explain this to Joe and Maria, their parents, and to the teaching faculty who will be taxed in time and money to obtain certifications for which they have scant need.
More important, we'd like to see some indication of how requiring elementary teachers in departmentalized instruction to take a generalist exam--when they've already passed a certification exam in the area of their instruction—improves teacher quality in the elementary school classes.
Whatever the facts, any new requirement should be fairly implemented with adequate time for teachers to achieve the necessary certification. It is indefensible to put teachers under the gun because of a change in rules implemented after the start of a new school year.
McKenzie does note that he finds waiting until the end of the school year reasonable.)
McKenzie also insinuates that "teacher unions" stand in the way of ensuring teacher quality and student achievement and lauds U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan for a recent speech on improving teacher preparation with higher quality university instruction and a greater emphasis on practical knowledge for managing classrooms.
Excuse us for taking a bit of offense, but Texas AFT has long promoted higher quality teacher preparation at the collegiate level and has directly worked in the area of providing quality professional development and mentoring for classroom management.
Texas AFT has been the lead organization in birthing and growing the state tuition exemption program for teacher aides, thus putting individuals with plenty of classroom experience on the path toward full certification. And we promote and support the rigorous National Board Certification as a path to even greater proficiency for existing teachers.
We think that record of action in support of teacher quality stands for a lot more than a newspaper column that touts the benefits of federal "highly qualified" regulations without reference to the real needs of students.
(Hotline by Texas AFT)
CONSTITUTIONAL
AMENDMENTS
Voters on Tuesday, November 3, 2009 decided to add 16 amendments to the Texas Constitution, including a measure that will funnel $3 billion into cancer research and prevention projects.
Voters also gave the go-ahead to measures that will build roads, fix parks and send clean water to colonias, most of which are on the border.
Proposition 15 will allow the state to borrow $3 billion over the next 10 years and create the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas.
Early returns showed 63 percent voting in favor of it, according to the secretary of state. “It will be a shot in the arms for us,” said Dr. Balesh Sharma, medical director for the South Texas Cancer Center in Brownsville.
“The cancer center would like to apply for money to help conduct clinical trials in Brownsville and Harlingen,” he said. “The clinic group already conducts trials in McAllen.”
Jackie Christensen was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer in 1999 at age 40. She had one breast and 15 lymph nodes removed, but overcame the disease. The Brownsville teacher now tries to persuade elected officials in Austin and Washington, D.C., to pay for research and education programs.
Jackie hopes money from Proposition 15 will go toward educating people in the Rio Grande Valley about cancer prevention and screenings.
“Knowing that the research is there, the screening is there, it gives me a lot of comfort and hope,” Christensen said.
The measure had the support of cyclist Lance Armstrong, who called the victory “the most important effort in which I have ever been involved.”
Also approved was Proposition 12, which allows the Texas Department of Transportation to borrow up to $5 billion for yet unnamed road projects. Opponents of Proposition 12 said the state Legislature should find money for roads without borrowing. Voters agreed with lawmakers and approved the measure 65 percent to 35 percent.
Cameron County Judge Carlos Cascos said he hopes some of that money goes toward highway projects in South Texas.
“Obviously, we’re hoping that with an additional pot of money, that we’re given an opportunity to apply for them,” Cascos said.
Another measure, Proposition 16, will allow the state to borrow $250 million to improve water and wastewater systems in colonias.
Monies would be distributed through grants from the Texas Water Development Board to agencies that make the improvements, mostly on the state’s border with Mexico.
With 85 percent of precincts reporting, Proposition 16 was set to pass with 61 percent of voters approving the measure.
“This money is just the beginning, since there is an actual need of $5.4 billion for water and wastewater services; however it is a darn good start,” said Sen. Eddie Lucio Jr., D-Brownsville, author of the bill that sent the measure to voters.
Voters also approved Proposition 4, which allows the state to borrow $1 billion for building projects, including a Texas Department of Public Safety building in McAllen to replace the cramped regional headquarters.
Another measure, Proposition 2, allows the state to issue $500 million in bonds to pay finance student loans.
(Excerpted from the Monitor, November 4, 2009)
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