Opinion
Education Letter to the Editor

NCLB Law’s Quality Rules Worsen Teacher Shortage

September 25, 2007 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

To the Editor:

In response to your article concerning the “highly qualified teacher” provisions in the recent draft House reauthorization plan for the No Child Left Behind Act (“Draft Retains Quality Rules for Teachers,” Sept. 12, 2007):

Throughout the federal law, “highly” is always used before “qualified.” This clever device suggests that teachers with state certification may not really be qualified, and that some higher authorization—such as passing a national test—is necessary to assure they are “highly” qualified.

So, many certified, experienced teachers are being classified as “not highly qualified.” They may be secondary teachers who are certified but don’t have a major in every subject they are teaching, or perhaps middle school teachers with general elementary certification. In such cases, school districts are required to send notices to parents that their children’s teachers are not highly qualified. Many teachers have lost their jobs and been replaced by inexperienced, uncertified teachers who have passed a test in a subject.

Rural schools, including those serving remote Native American and Alaskan populations, are especially hurt by this definition of “highly qualified.” Some cannot afford to hire full-time specialists in every subject, and there is no pool of part-time teachers available to them.

In addition, requiring middle school teachers to have majors in specific fields is an illegal imposition of curriculum under the federal law, since schools would have to move away from integrated social studies and general science courses.

There is an increasing shortage of qualified teachers nationwide, especially in minority and poor communities. The No Child Left Behind law’s “highly qualified” provision is aggravating that problem, not alleviating it.

Kenneth S. Goodman

Professor Emeritus

Department of Language, Reading, and Culture

College of Education

University of Arizona

Tucson, Ariz.

A version of this article appeared in the September 26, 2007 edition of Education Week as NCLB Law’s Quality Rules Worsen Teacher Shortage

Events

Student Well-Being Webinar After-School Learning Top Priority: Academics or Fun?
Join our expert panel to discuss how after-school programs and schools can work together to help students recover from pandemic-related learning loss.
Budget & Finance Webinar Leverage New Funding Sources with Data-Informed Practices
Address the whole child using data-informed practices, gain valuable insights, and learn strategies that can benefit your district.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Classroom Technology Webinar
ChatGPT & Education: 8 Ways AI Improves Student Outcomes
Revolutionize student success! Don't miss our expert-led webinar demonstrating practical ways AI tools will elevate learning experiences.
Content provided by Inzata

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Education Briefly Stated: May 17, 2023
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
8 min read
Education Briefly Stated: May 3, 2023
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
8 min read
Education Briefly Stated: April 26, 2023
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
8 min read
Education Briefly Stated: March 29, 2023
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
8 min read