Despite
budget problems teaching program a success
By
Sean Emery
On-line Forty-Niner
Despite
continued budget cutbacks, enrollment in
the student teaching program at Cal State
Long Beach continues to rise to record levels,
according to figures released by the department
of teacher education.
Current
enrollment for the student teaching program
now stands at 444 students for the spring
2004 semester. This figure is more than
double the number of students who were enrolled
in the program in spring 2001.
"In
the spring of 2001 we had 233 [students]
enrolled in the program, which was a large
jump," said Deborah Hamm, director
of field programs for the department of
teacher education. "This spring we
now have 444 [students]."
According to Hamm, one of the main reasons
behind the rise in enrollment for the program
has been the federally mandated "no
child left behind" program. As part
of the program, schools are now forced to
be more selective in the hiring of teachers,
which has led to a rise in teachers coming
back to the program to receive their credentials.
"Folks
that were teaching in schools without credentials
now have to complete their credentials or
they are in danger of losing their jobs,"
Hamm said. "The number of emergency
permit teachers has diminished greatly.
Now these folks are trying to finish their
credential program in order to keep their
jobs, or get their jobs back."
Hamm
also cited the change in the economy as
being a large factor in the rising enrollment
in the program. Despite the advertised teacher
shortage over the last few years, declining
enrollment has led many districts to reconsider
their budget and the amount of staff that
they need.
"Because
of the economy and the way things were going,
w were in a desperate need for teachers.
[Districts] were advertising, 'come teach
for us, we need you.' This year the enrollments
went down in the elementary school, so the
need for teachers wasn't what had been expected,"
Hamm said. "As a result those who are
in the pipeline taking classes are so far
along that they need to finish as quickly
as possible."
Since
the teacher education department, along
with most parts of the CSU system, is facing
budget shortages of its own, meeting the
needs of the students who are already in
the middle of the credential program has
required a shifting of resources.
"The
effect on the student teaching program has
been minimized because our dean, our chair,
and the university president want these
people to get their credential. That is
the primary focus," Hamm said. "Student
teaching is very expensive. We lose money
to student teaching. But, that is our obligation,
to allow those who have reached that point
to finish."
In
order to meet the budget demands of the
student teaching program, budget priorities
for the department have been shifted away
from other aspects of the department, including
the prerequisite classes.
"Classes
have been cancelled in order to allow these
numbers of students to student teach,"
Hamm said. "The funding has shifted
to our student teachers as part of our obligation."
For
those who are teaching the prerequisite
classes, the budget cuts have presented
a challenge in the form of higher class
sizes and less funding.
"Any
time there are budget cuts it makes our
job more challenging since we have to meet
the needs of the students with less dollars,"
said Maureen McMahon, an associate professor
and department chairwoman for science education.
"But, we have done everything we can
to meet the challenge and maintain a quality
curriculum."
Cuts
in funding at the elementary and high school
district level have also affected those
who are enrolled in the student teaching
program. Many students had previously worked
as student aids before becoming student
teachers. This provided many students not
only with valuable experience, but also
helped to supplement their income. Now,
however, many school districts have begun
eliminating or cutting back on the number
of student aids they are hiring, a trend
that has placed more economic hardship on
those in the teacher education program.
"Student
teaching is a full time job," Hamm
said. "They still pay full-time student
fees, and it's difficult [for students]."
The
lack of aids in the schools also has the
potential to shift the amount of responsibilities
given to the student teachers in the program.
"If
you had a teacher that had a classroom aid,
and no longer does, now their workload has
shifted," Hamm said. "Might it
affect the work of a student aid? It might.
But not to the point where there is egregious
misuse of the student teacher program."
Despite
the rising enrollment and the budget cuts,
those involved with the student teaching
program emphasized that those who are in
the program and those who are joining the
program will not see a drop in the quality
of instruction.
"If
you're a student at Cal State Long Beach,
you're going to continue to get the best
that we have to offer you," McMahon
said. "If you're not yet a student
here we have the ability to say that its
time to manage our enrollment so that any
student we let in gets the best that we
have to offer."
"We
have a very well regarded teacher prep program,
and our program is not going away. We will
maintain enrollment," Hamm said. "CSULB
is the campus of choice in general, but
in teacher education it is the campus of
choice. So, our reputation will carry us
for quite a while."
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