a non distance learning question about HS teacher credentials

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m just getting the titles from the school website, teacher is listed as an “emotional disabilities” teacher but teaches math. Does that mean she is as qualified to teach math as a high school “math teacher” but also has extra sped credentials?

If the Emotional Disabilities teacher is teaching Math that means that not only does this person have a SPED certification, but this person is also highly qualified in Math. Either they passed the required tests, took the required tests, or even got multiple degrees (say BA in Secondary Ed -Math and MED in SPED). I'm currently an inclusion teacher, but when I taught self-contained at the elementary level, I had to submit my elementary ed content praxis results to prove that I have the content knowledge to be the sole teacher in the classroom who is responsible for both content and SPED knowledge.

I should clarify, if the Emotional Disabilities teacher is teaching a self-contained math class, then they also need to be highly qualified in math. If the emotional disabilities teacher is co-teaching, then they do not need to be highly qualified in math as their primary job is to work with the math teacher to differentiate and support the various needs of the students, they are the ones who are highly qualified in sped where the math teacher is highly qualified in content. A general ed math teacher never has to have the SPED background, even when in a co-taught class; where is if the SPED teacher is in a self-contained class, they need to have both the content and the SPED background.

This. I am in a different school system in Virginia. I teach self-contained math for students who are classified as ED. I have to meet the certification needs for both categories. When I co-teach then I can either be there as a SPED co-teacher or I can be the primary math teacher.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are you following any of the posts on DCUM lately? Schools are trying to fill special ed positions with anyone they can. At this point, they can’t demand both a math or English certification along with special education. They can barely find applicants with any special education course work.

Would you want your child learning geometry from any warm body or do you think the person FCPS hires should be qualified?

If my child had emotional disabilities or special needs to the point of needing to be in a high school for SN, I wouldn’t give a sh*t about geometry of all things, I’d care the people teaching her were trained in handling the needs that necessitates her going to that school.

I disagree with this premise. My neighbor’s dc has been in special Ed only schools for almost all of his school years-not fcps schools but fcps pays and sends a bus. The low quality of the teachers and staff hired at these schools according to her are often bottom of the barrel types who can’t get hired by the public schools and they are often not qualified at all. His academic education has been very poor. It’s not just like, six months out of a child’s education gets spent at these schools and then they are “fixed” and can go catch up with qualified teachers at a good school.
It’s his whole entire education.

I agree with this and also there should be a different pay scale for teachers who teach Emotional Disabilities and have subject matter endorsements. There's no reason why the high school chorus teacher (for instance) should be paid the same as someone with credentials more difficult to find with a much more difficult job.