Suit Contests ‘Loophole’ for Alternate Paths

A group of California parents, students, and community organizations is suing the U.S. Department of Education for allowing uncertified alternative-route teachers to be designated as “highly qualified” under the No Child Left Behind Act.

The federal law requires teachers to have full state licensure, in addition to a bachelor’s degree and evidence that they know each subject they teach. But department regulations allow uncertified candidates in alternative-route programs to teach for up to three years while seeking certification.

Backers of the lawsuit, Renee v. Spellings , which was filed last week in U.S. District Court in San Francisco, said they are concerned because many of those teachers end up in schools that are low-performing and enroll higher concentrations...