For More Information:
NEA Communications: 202 822-7200
Jane Liebbrand, NCATE 202 466-7496

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 3, 1999

News Release

NEA/NCATE Presidents Put Spotlight on Problem of Under-Prepared Teachers in Nation's Classrooms

Issue Consumer Alert to Parents to Investigate Qualifications of Children's Teachers

Washington, D.C. -- Bob Chase, president of the National Education Association (NEA), and Art Wise, president of the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), today called on school districts to make teacher quality a top priority by dedicating time and resources to putting only fully-prepared teachers in front of classrooms. Both discussed the current practices of emergency licensure and out-of-field teaching -- and the ultimate impact on student achievement -- during a briefing for education media.

Calling teacher quality "the single most important factor in a child's education," Chase denounced the prevailing practice of school districts issuing emergency licenses and hiring unlicensed teachers. "Americans wouldn't dream of entrusting our homes or our health to an unlicensed professional -- or one with fly-by-night training. Yet time and again we entrust the education of our children to teachers without adequate licensure. Such a lack of quality control would be considered criminally negligent in any other profession."

"Too many local school boards and administrators are hiring unqualified persons," Wise said. "When school districts cannot find enough qualified teachers -- at the price they're willing to pay -- they resort to hiring anyone and insist on calling them 'teachers.'"

Chase and Wise outlined the nationwide problems with teacher shortages, emergency teaching credentials and teacher misassignment, as well as research showing that fully prepared teachers fare better in the classroom and their students fare better on standardized tests.

The education leaders also encouraged parents to become informed consumers in the area of teacher quality by quizzing principals and local school boards about the qualifications of teachers in their local schools.

"As more and more parents start asking the difficult questions, officials will have to take bold steps to ensure that every child is taught by a competent, caring and qualified teacher," Wise said.

To help measure their schools' teacher quality quotient, Chase and Wise said parents should ask school administrators specific questions that will reveal the level of teachers' preparation, qualifications and licensing. For example:

• What is our district doing to ensure that high-quality teachers are recruited into our schools? What are we doing to screen for quality "up front"?
• Are new teachers in our community well prepared with the knowledge and skills they need to teach all students? How much clinical experience and involvement in K-12 schools do our teacher candidates receive?
• Are the teachers in our schools licensed to teach in their subject areas? What percentage of our teachers are teaching subjects outside their main assignment field? What percentage of the teachers in our schools hold temporary, provisional or emergency licenses?
• What are our schools doing to support beginning teachers? Are we providing them mentoring, smaller classes or other assistance?

"We need to cultivate a legion of top-notch, well-prepared professionals" in the teaching profession, said Chase. "That's why NEA is working with NCATE to ensure all new teachers graduate from accredited colleges, and standards are rigorous and relevant. This is an essential step to helping every child in our public schools."

# # #
The National Education Association is the nation’s largest professional employee organization, representing more than 2.7 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support personnel, school administrators, retired educators, and students preparing to become teachers.

The National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education is a coalition of 33 organizations of teachers, teacher educators, policymakers and school specialists committed to quality teaching. The U.S. Department of Education recognizes NCATE as the professional accrediting body for teacher preparation in the United States.