Non-Certified Teachers
Some educators say the shortage of teachers in Florida could reach crisis levels soon, when many baby boomers begin to retire and leave the teaching ranks. As an example, the Hillsborough County School District needed to hire a thousand additional teachers this year, alone ... a nearly impossible task. And while it did hire about 750 teachers, about about 10-percent of those were people who did not have teaching degrees.
Tonight.. in Assignment: Education.. Bill Ratliff takes a look at a program that is bringing a new kind of teacher into the classroom.
--[Teacher Vivan Jones says:] "Out of a possible 115-dollars that you could have paid.. you only paid 70 dollars."--
This is a special math class at Tampa's Chamberlin High School called "Intensive Math 2." It's designed to help students struggling with math. It would be fair to assume the person teaching such an important class would be a certified teacher.. But she's not. Vivian Jones is a college graduate.. with a degree in math.. not in teaching.
--[Jones says:] "I think if you know your subject as thoroughly as you should, and to teach something doesn't necessarily mean you have to have had certain classes per say "Education" In order to teach it."--
It used to be.. in Florida.. college graduates like Vivian Jones.. who didn't have education degrees.. could teach.. if they enrolled in an alternative certification program at a college of education. But now, that training can be handled by the school districts. Renalia Dubose is the Supervisor of Teacher Training in Hillsborough County. She says the current and looming teacher shortage make the Alternative Certification Program attractive to school districts. And she says it's attracting qualified people to the field of teaching.
--[Renalia Dubose says:] "We have engineers. We have former college professors. We have a lot of people who worked in the corporate world and they decided they wanted to work with people."--
Which is Jones' story. She's not making the money should could in the business world.. But she's doing what she wants to do. She feels -that- along with her math degree make her a very effective teacher.
--[Jones says:] "I think I'm qualified to be in the classroom, because I feel I have the right attitude towards the kids."--
Hillsborough has hired more than 60-teachers as part of its new certification program... all have degrees is specific subject areas. While on the job this year, they'll receive more than 90-hours of education training. After they have completed the training, they can apply for a permanent teaching certificate.
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