uncertified teachers

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How do you all feel when your kid has an uncertified teacher? Mine has a foreign language teacher with no background, no language degree

I think as long as an extensive criminal background check was done, and the teacher has somewhat of a background in whatever course they’re teaching, there shouldn’t be a problem.

Professors, for example, don’t need to be certified teachers to teach, and I don’t have a problem with that either.

I think generally there’s too much red tape to becoming a teacher. Certification may be more necessary for teaching ES, but for MS and up, I don’t think it’s necessary. Isn’t it often trial by fire anyways? You can learn all the teaching theory you want, but what matters is actual classroom time.

Yup! I agree with the above. I am a teacher with 15 years experience teaching a world language at a highly selective DC area private high school (with a BA & MA in my language). AFter leaving the classroom during covid due to childcare challenges, I'm considering to apply to teach in MCPS, but I'm not state certified. I do have lots of teaching experience and am happy to take classes to complete certification, but it's expensive. I could apply to teach a private again, but I want to be on the same school year schedule as my kids who are in MCPS.

It's a lot of hoops though...lots of paperwork, back and forth, etc to have my transcripts from undergrad & graduate school be evaluated to see which classes I need to take. And I might still have to student teach? And I won't have all my years of experience recognized in the step scale either. Argh.....

Given the shortage of teachers, I'd think they'd try to streamline things a bit for qualified and experienced teachers considering a change to public.

Have you looked at the new Maryland teacher certification website?
https://www.marylandpublicschools.org/about/pages/dee/certification/index.aspx
You create your own account, upload your documentation, they will review, and I think you will get info on what else you need to certify. If all you need is a few classes but have teaching experience, MCPS will hire you and put you straight into teaching. As long as you are in progress towards certification you can teach. My HS has hired two teachers from private schools in the past three years with this process.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How do you all feel when your kid has an uncertified teacher? Mine has a foreign language teacher with no background, no language degree

I think as long as an extensive criminal background check was done, and the teacher has somewhat of a background in whatever course they’re teaching, there shouldn’t be a problem.

Professors, for example, don’t need to be certified teachers to teach, and I don’t have a problem with that either.

I think generally there’s too much red tape to becoming a teacher. Certification may be more necessary for teaching ES, but for MS and up, I don’t think it’s necessary. Isn’t it often trial by fire anyways? You can learn all the teaching theory you want, but what matters is actual classroom time.

Yup! I agree with the above. I am a teacher with 15 years experience teaching a world language at a highly selective DC area private high school (with a BA & MA in my language). AFter leaving the classroom during covid due to childcare challenges, I'm considering to apply to teach in MCPS, but I'm not state certified. I do have lots of teaching experience and am happy to take classes to complete certification, but it's expensive. I could apply to teach a private again, but I want to be on the same school year schedule as my kids who are in MCPS.

It's a lot of hoops though...lots of paperwork, back and forth, etc to have my transcripts from undergrad & graduate school be evaluated to see which classes I need to take. And I might still have to student teach? And I won't have all my years of experience recognized in the step scale either. Argh.....

Given the shortage of teachers, I'd think they'd try to streamline things a bit for qualified and experienced teachers considering a change to public.

This.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How do you all feel when your kid has an uncertified teacher? Mine has a foreign language teacher with no background, no language degree

I think as long as an extensive criminal background check was done, and the teacher has somewhat of a background in whatever course they’re teaching, there shouldn’t be a problem.

Professors, for example, don’t need to be certified teachers to teach, and I don’t have a problem with that either.

I think generally there’s too much red tape to becoming a teacher. Certification may be more necessary for teaching ES, but for MS and up, I don’t think it’s necessary. Isn’t it often trial by fire anyways? You can learn all the teaching theory you want, but what matters is actual classroom time.

Yup! I agree with the above. I am a teacher with 15 years experience teaching a world language at a highly selective DC area private high school (with a BA & MA in my language). AFter leaving the classroom during covid due to childcare challenges, I'm considering to apply to teach in MCPS, but I'm not state certified. I do have lots of teaching experience and am happy to take classes to complete certification, but it's expensive. I could apply to teach a private again, but I want to be on the same school year schedule as my kids who are in MCPS.

It's a lot of hoops though...lots of paperwork, back and forth, etc to have my transcripts from undergrad & graduate school be evaluated to see which classes I need to take. And I might still have to student teach? And I won't have all my years of experience recognized in the step scale either. Argh.....

Given the shortage of teachers, I'd think they'd try to streamline things a bit for qualified and experienced teachers considering a change to public.

Have you looked at the new Maryland teacher certification website?
https://www.marylandpublicschools.org/about/pages/dee/certification/index.aspx
You create your own account, upload your documentation, they will review, and I think you will get info on what else you need to certify. If all you need is a few classes but have teaching experience, MCPS will hire you and put you straight into teaching. As long as you are in progress towards certification you can teach. My HS has hired two teachers from private schools in the past three years with this process.

Lots of unnecessary red tape. The poster is, essentially, asking for a sanity check to reduce the artificial hurdles and recognize the value brought (and resulting salary scale placement) based on logical alternatives to in-system seniority.

[Anonymous]

I think “what a sad state of affairs the field of education is in” and all the blame lies with policy makers and people who feel entitled to bash and blame teachers. Now you are seeing the effects of life long highly qualified teachers leaving as fast as they can. I have 9 years to go and it can’t come fast enough. We are over worked and undervalued. So yes, there are many teachers who are not certified and they’ll continue to be hired. I work with a special education teacher who used to be a secretary in the private sector who has essentially zero experience or qualifications. But mcps hired her and she is learning as she does and taking classes toward certification as she works. This is our new normal

[Anonymous]

We probably need a thread on the ridiculous mcps approach to foreign language instruction. It’s abysmal. And it need not be.

[Anonymous]

I know someone who works in the unit for cert. I hate to tell you, but like half of the teachers hired provisionally this year have no education background and no experience teaching. You can have pretty much any major/bachelor's teaching a foreign language as long as they somewhat speak it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They probably have other uncertified teachers and will have more in the future.

Ding, ding, ding! With all the teacher bashing, no wonder there are fewer people currently in those roles. Certified teachers are fed up. And then you all complain when someone who wants to teach but isn't yet certified is in the role. Geesh!

They’re bashing bad teachers, not all teachers—there’s a difference.

An uncertified teacher isn’t necessarily a bad teacher. Many are coming from states without reciprocity or even from private school and foreign schools.

None of my private HS teachers were certified. Most were excellent.

When your child gets to college, no certification of instructors exists and they will occasionally be taught by instructors and TAs who have no prior teaching experience either.

[Anonymous]

My child in a special education classroom had a long term sub last year who was 100% not qualified. Not ony didn't learn any new skills, regressed in what they had learned the previous year. It is 100% detrimental

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My child in a special education classroom had a long term sub last year who was 100% not qualified. Not ony didn't learn any new skills, regressed in what they had learned the previous year. It is 100% detrimental

Beats a parade of daily subs, some of whom were on their first sub teaching job ever. Ask me how I know!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How do you all feel when your kid has an uncertified teacher? Mine has a foreign language teacher with no background, no language degree

I think as long as an extensive criminal background check was done, and the teacher has somewhat of a background in whatever course they’re teaching, there shouldn’t be a problem.

Professors, for example, don’t need to be certified teachers to teach, and I don’t have a problem with that either.

I think generally there’s too much red tape to becoming a teacher. Certification may be more necessary for teaching ES, but for MS and up, I don’t think it’s necessary. Isn’t it often trial by fire anyways? You can learn all the teaching theory you want, but what matters is actual classroom time.

Yup! I agree with the above. I am a teacher with 15 years experience teaching a world language at a highly selective DC area private high school (with a BA & MA in my language). AFter leaving the classroom during covid due to childcare challenges, I'm considering to apply to teach in MCPS, but I'm not state certified. I do have lots of teaching experience and am happy to take classes to complete certification, but it's expensive. I could apply to teach a private again, but I want to be on the same school year schedule as my kids who are in MCPS.

It's a lot of hoops though...lots of paperwork, back and forth, etc to have my transcripts from undergrad & graduate school be evaluated to see which classes I need to take. And I might still have to student teach? And I won't have all my years of experience recognized in the step scale either. Argh.....

Given the shortage of teachers, I'd think they'd try to streamline things a bit for qualified and experienced teachers considering a change to public.

My daughter's teachers are likely not certified in her elite private school, but they all have at least masters degrees in their subject area and three of her teachers this year have their PhDs. I would prefer that over some certified teacher with just a BA in education. I know of one in particular who has no expertise in history, but teaching history in HS in MCPS as a recent grad with a BA in education (and probably certified). I don't know, I realize there are some really good teachers in MCPS, but a lot of them suck too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My child in a special education classroom had a long term sub last year who was 100% not qualified. Not ony didn't learn any new skills, regressed in what they had learned the previous year. It is 100% detrimental

That is terrible. Fortunately, the impact of reduced requirements for teachers is not going to have the same impact on general ed as it has on special ed. Also, I wonder if they should make it easier to get a special ed endorsement. I know in Virginia you can become a general ed teacher relatively easily, but there are no shortcuts to a special education certification. Perhaps it would be better to offer an accelerated program for special ed endorsement than rely on substitutes.