Out of field teachers and notifications

[mossyhead]

I think certified to be a teacher is different from certified to teach a specific subject, and it's causing confusion, but don't know.

I understand the difference, but some viewing might not.

Thanks for clearing it up Mark.

 

[dgsevier]

The bottom line is this:
A person who has a "math major" has many more career options than a person who has a degree in most other areas. These math majors can become engineers, actuaries, or a host of other carer options where they make significantly more than the 30K that you may be paying first year teachers in Walton Co.

As a career educator who has spent the majority of his professional career studying and crafting K-12 education policy at a state level I can tell you that until teachers are paid at a level commensurate with their skills then the field of education will continue to attract many candidates who believe that they have no other choice than to "fall back on teaching."

 

[dgsevier]

You are kind of right. You can be "certified" as teacher to teach several subjects. My sister, for instance is certified as a P.E. teacher for grades K - 12, and is certified in high school biology. However, she is not "certified" in high school anatomy (did I spell that right?), although she has taught that subject many times. In that instance, she would be considered "out of field" although I believe she is qualified to teach that subject. Hope that helps....

Well said, great example.

 

[Minnie]

Robert I can so relate to your concern. The exact same thing happened to my daughter in HS. Her teacher moved out of town during the year after only being their six weeks. They were unable to find a qualified math teacher so they used a sub that had no math experience at all, her certification was history. Really nice lady but did not know much about Algebra. My daughter's class consistently scored lower on Math test sections of ACT and SAT than the other students who were not in her class. Even though my daughter had a high score by some standards, her Math score kept her from getting a full scholarship.

I wish I had demanded she be moved to the other class but I was assured by the admin, that this sub was qualified. Only after the fact did they admit that she was not.

The effect on my daughter was great. She struggled thru every Math class after that. We spend a lot of money on tutors in HS and college. Due to the fact she could not pass Business Calculus, she had to change her major in college.

I wish you the best and definitely understand your concern, I have lived it. My certification was Elementary Education and I certainly would not want to teach HS algebra. Algebra is the base for all math that follows.

I would definitely recommend, a tutor or summer school program. Please do not let this hinder your child from this point on.