Fewer than half the teachers in Ohio’s nearly 250 charter schools meet the standards for full state certification that teachers in regular public schools must meet, according to a newspaper’s analysis.
About 45 percent of the teachers in charter schools meet the “fully certified” standard required of teachers in regular public schools by the federal No Child Left Behind Act, compared with 98 percent of the teachers in regular schools, the analysis by The Plain Dealer of Cleveland found.
Ohio charter schools get flexibility in licensure that regular public schools lack.
The No Child Left Behind law mandates teachers in regular public schools have a bachelor’s degree, full state certification or licensure, and demonstrated mastery of their subject matter, said J.C. Benton, a spokesman for the state education agency. The federal law defers to state law on charter schools, he added.
