Letters to inform parents of teachers’ qualifications

Thursday, Sept. 11, 2003 | 11:01 a.m.

Parents of students at Title I schools may soon get letters from the Clark County School District telling them their children's teachers aren't "highly qualified," even though the deadline for meeting the new federal requirements isn't until 2006.

The letters are required for the first time this fall under the No Child Left Behind Act -- and that has some state and local education officials bristling.

"It seems a wee bit unfair," said George Ann Rice, the district's associate superintendent of human resources. "These are teachers who have met all of Nevada's standards and are on track to be fully qualified by 2006. We're jumping over every single one of the federal hurdles. But the real issue is whether students are any better off for all of this."

The No Child Left Behind Act requires teachers at Title I schools hired after July 1, 2002, meet the "highly qualified" standards. Title I schools receive a larger share of federal dollars based on the percentage of students coming from low-income homes. Teachers already employed by the district prior to that date, as well as new hires at regular campuses, have until the end of the 2005-06 school year to meet the standards.

There are several avenues for teachers to prove they are highly qualified, including passing a national exam in their subject area, earning academic credits or completing a master's degree.

Moises Denis, whose son attends Ronnow Edison Elementary School, a Title I campus, said he hoped the notification letters would help keep parents informed about what's happening in their children's classrooms.

"Parents need to be informed and educated," Denis said. "But letter or no letter, parents need to go and meet their children's teachers, talk to them and judge for themselves whether that person's methods and views are compatible with their child."

Agustin Orci, deputy superintendent of instruction for the district, said requiring districts to notify parents three years ahead of the deadline will cause unnecessary concern.

"Many of the things with No Child Left Behind have been poorly thought out," Orci said. "I fully support notifying parents once the deadline takes effect. But I don't see the benefit to anyone of doing it now."

School district officials are in the process of tabulating which teachers at Title I schools still need to meet the new standards. The letters are expected to go home to parents early next month.

To help with the notification process, Keith Rheault, deputy superintendent of the Nevada Department of Education, prepared a draft letter for the state's principals to use as a model.

The letter emphasizes that most of the state's teachers have until 2006 to meet the new standards, and that all classroom teachers are fully licensed by the state. Rheault said he expected after 2006 districts would begin sending out letters from all campuses, not just Title I schools.

Martha Young, associate dean of the College of Education at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, said the "highly qualified" provisions under the federal law are misdirected.

"This doesn't have anything to do with the heart of teaching, it has to do with making things look the same on a piece of paper," Young said. "The conditions of schools, the lives of children -- if we focused on those things we might have greater success in improving overall student achievement."

Orci agreed.

"A lot of the qualifications No Child Left Behind wants to see aren't things that necessarily make you a better teacher," Orci said. "The scores on a piece of paper mean very little in the long run."