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news
Teacher
demand calls for temporary solutions
By Kandace Hsu
Daily Forty- Niner
The demand for
teachers throughout the United States increases every year
as enrollment continues to grow and teachers from the baby
boomer era begin to retire.
In California public schools alone, 260,000 to 300,000 teachers
need to be hired over the next 10 years, according to calteach.com,
an explanatory site showing how to become a teacher.
"Math, science and special education teachers are in
the highest demand right now," said Bonnie Cohn, director
of Human Resource Services at the Teacher Recruitment Center.
"The demand is so great that some districts offer incentives
such as laptops, relocation funds, and hiring bonuses between
$2,000 to 6,000."
The need for teachers is so great in certain areas that some
school districts hire teachers that are not fully credentialed.
Instead, the teachers have an emergency permit, which allows
them to teach as they attend school for a teaching credential.
Emergency permits are issued by individual school districts
and vary from state to state in requirements for qualifications,
according to calteach.com.
"The emergency permit is not a substitute credential,"
said Nancy McGlothin, director of the student information
center in the College of Education. "The permit allows
teachers to teach, but the teacher must also be attending
school and working toward their credential at the same time."
To qualify for the emergency permit in California, a teacher
must have a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited
university or college and pass the California Basic Educational
Skills Test, which assesses and verifies proficiency in mathematics,
reading and writing skills.
The teacher must be enrolled in a credential program as he
or she teaches and must complete at least six units a year
toward his or her credential to keep the permit. The emergency
permit must be renewed every five years, McGlothin said.
At Cal State Long Beach, the recently nationally accredited
College of Education offers three basic credential programs:
multiple subjects, single subject and education specialist.
A credential for multiple subjects is for teachers who want
to teach at elementary or middle school levels to teach more
than one subject.
A single subject credential is for teachers who want to teach
a specific subject at the middle or high school level.
Education specialist is for those who want to teach children,
adolescents and young adults with disabilities.
CSULB's single subject credential standards are that the applying
candidate holds a bachelor's degree from an accredited college
or university and must pass the CBEST. If the candidate wishes
to get the multiple subject credential, he or she must complete
a subject matter preparation program approved by the California
Commission on Teaching Credentialing or pass the Multiple
Subject Assessment Test.
The MSAT is not required to enter a credential program but
it must be passed before enrolling in a student teaching program.
At CSULB, the approved subject matter preparation program
is the Liberal Studies Track 1 major.
Students working toward credentials in multiple subjects or
education specialist must also take the Reading Instruction
Competence Assessment before they are issued a credential.
The test is designed to ensure that the teachers are proficient
in teaching reading.
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