Editorial: Education plan should get approval

Monday, Dec. 14, 1998 | 10:04 a.m.

Despite a demonstrated need, on Dec. 4 a state panel postponed approving a Clark County School District fast-track program that would have resulted in more special-education teachers being hired. Some members of the state Commission on Professional Standards in Education were concerned about granting a "conditional license" to an unqualified teacher, but their qualms are overstated.

The school district's program was set up this year to attract people looking to be special-education teachers even if they were in other lines of work. Just why is there a need for this program to attract special-education teachers in a nontraditional way?

The school district faces a dilemma. Sun reporter Benjamin Grove reported Thursday that of the almost 1,300 special-education teachers in the public school system, 80 are full-time substitutes with limited qualifications (some are still in the process of working toward getting their college degrees). Add to this the fact that another 200 special-education teachers have education degrees, but still don't have the required special-education credentials.

To fill these gaps this program would bring in new teachers who already have college degrees, allowing them to work toward getting their special-education credentials while completing their coursework. Before it ran into the snag with the state commission, the school district had planned on hiring these students in January and putting them in classrooms under the supervision of teaching mentors. Basically they would learn while on the job.

It is important that tough standards exist for special-education teachers. After all, their jobs are demanding and it is vital that these students get an excellent education. But sometimes even the best of intentions, such as a fear that something isn't quite perfect yet, can create bureaucratic roadblocks that end up doing more harm than good. Such is the case with the commission's inaction on the school district's proposal.

It is increasingly difficult to attract top-flight students into teaching at all; even more problematic is luring good students to enter the challenging field of special education. When the state Commission on Professional Standards in Education meets again in January it should adopt the school district's special-education program, a proposal that will help fill a growing need.