Published: October 28, 2009 10:11 pm      

New rules for teachers stir opposition

Comments on proposed licensing changes due Friday

Have an opinion?

Public comments on the state’s proposed teaching license rules are welcome until Friday at the state’s Web site www.doe.in.gov/repacomment. The Rules for Educator Preparation and Accountability are posted on the Indiana Department of Education Web site.



The Indiana Department of Education is considering re-structuring state licensing regulations for teachers and administrators.

The proposed Rules for Educator Preparation and Accountability are sparking debate among educators as the new rules could potentially eliminate current licenses and loosen requirements for new teachers and administrators.

An online petition created by the REPA Coalition of Education Groups outlines some of the potential changes.

“Individuals could become new teachers by only participating in an online program, passing a test, and having no experience with kids or in classrooms,” the petition reads.

The group also states that new teachers would not be held to rigorous state or national standards.

According to the state education department, those standards are not helping Indiana students in the classroom. The National Council on Teacher Quality gave Indiana a D for its policies affecting teacher quality and reported Indiana ranked low in the ability to identify and retain effective teachers.

“Current regulations waste teachers’ time and money, but are not effective in the goal of making them better teachers,” read the Indiana Department of Education’s REPA rule revisions. “Too many requirements for initial licensure and for license renewal are not connected to student achievement or educators’ ability to teach.”

State educators are making the claim Indiana will soon be in dire need of teachers, especially in subjects such as math and science, and thus the relaxation of new teacher requirements is needed.

The state reported that only 7 percent of all new teaching certifications in 2008 and 2009 were for math. Another 6 percent were for science. Within five years, 25 percent of math teachers, 25 percent of science teachers and 36 percent of career and technology teachers will be eligible to retire.

Stuart Green, interim chancellor at Indiana University Kokomo, argued that the state was already addressing a potential shortage through its “Transition to Teaching” program. Green said the program required only 18 credit hours to earn a secondary education teaching license and 25 credit hours for elementary education.

Less than half of the IU Kokomo’s graduates from the 2007-2008 iteration of the program are employed as teachers.

“We suggest that this program is already providing an effective pathway to teaching for Indiana citizens and requires no new changes,” Green said. “In fact, the program is recognized as a national model for alternative teacher preparation.”

The potential licensure changes would also affect current teachers. It is possible current licenses will be eliminated, according to the REPA Coalition of Education Groups.

“Some current teachers may not be able to renew their existing licenses and to keep their current classrooms and positions,” the group’s petition reads.

The state’s proposed rules would reduce the existing five teacher licensing categories to three: Pre-K to sixth grade, fifth grade to 12th grade and Pre-K to 12th grade. The new regulations would also require the testing of every teacher, eliminating testing waivers currently granted to some teachers.

If the proposed rules pass, Julie Saam, IU Kokomo’s interim dean of education, said major programs at the school will be eliminated because of the new categories.

“It would completely shut down our bachelor’s degree in secondary education because it wouldn’t be recognized by the state,” Saam said. “We have 100 students currently enrolled in that program, so we really don’t want to get rid of it.”

Saam said freshmen and sophomores in the program would be displaced and would instead minor in education, dropping required credit hours in education from 30 hours to 18.

Superintendent John Bevan of the Southeastern Schoold said the Indiana Association of Public School Superintendents was planning to be part of the conversation on the proposed changes.

“There are significant concerns with the proposal,” he said. “Having said that, if some of the current regulations applied to certification of both teachers and administrators could be relaxed without giving up quality, it would be a positive step.”

If the proposed changes are adopted, new rules would go into effect on July 1.

• Jennifer Tangeman is a reporter for the Pharos-Tribune. She can be reached at 574-732-5148 or jennifer.tangeman@pharostribune.com.