Going South in North Carolina

The North Carolina State Education Board wants to stop testing out-of-state teachers to see if they know the subject they teach. The stated rationale: to address teacher shortages so NC can meet No Child Left Behind’s “highly-qualified teacher” requirements. Of course, the point of the NCLB requirements is to make sure teachers understand the subjects they teach! Here is a tip-off that the proposed plan is a bad idea: Both current Governor Mike Easley and former Governor Jim Hunt oppose it.

A more promising approach might be to think about reducing some certification coursework barriers — North Carolina’s are among the most burdensome.

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