A new report (pdf) from the National Council on Teacher Quality grades the states and points out that states are evading the spirit of No Child Left Behind’s teacher quality provisions:
In the short term, the prospects are dim for making genuine strides in improving teacher quality. The law’s clarity on the academic preparation required of new teachers bodes a more promising future, but where veteran teachers are concerned the law is doomed to disappoint, save in a minority of states. The evidence accumulated here suggests that the highly qualified teacher provisions will be brought down by the burden of NCLB’s internal compromises and ambiguity and by states’ unwillingness to cede control no matter how important the cause.
Even with the 2006 deadline looming, only a handful of states appear willing to comply with the spirit of that portion of the law that seeks to correct the long-tolerated, widespread and inadequate preparation of American teachers in their subject areas. Some states are indifferent or even antagonistic about the prospect of declaring significant numbers of their active teachers unqualified.
The report asks whether the Department of Education will actually enforce this part of the law (though there is some evidence they might). Over to you Margaret!