View Content #598
| Contentid | 598 |
|---|---|
| Content Type | 1 |
| Title | Superintendent's Update #27 |
| Body | From: "HUGGLER Nick" Superintendent's Update #27 September 26, 2003 1. Highly Qualified Teachers 2. NULITES Conference 3. New Director of Business Services 4. Susan's Schedule A message from Superintendent Susan Castillo: Each week, I will be sending you an update to provide an agency-wide perspective on our important endeavors. I hope that this update and other actions will increase communication as we move forward on initiatives for Oregon's children. 1. Highly Qualified Teachers Susan Castillo In September, the Oregon Department of Education announced "82% of all classes taught in Oregon's public schools have a highly qualified teacher, according to the new federally required definition under the No Child Left Behind Act." Of course, the announcement received wide media attention, and I have received many comments and e-mails from teachers and administrators across the state. I understand your frustration. The federal designation of highly qualified is given only when a teacher's assignment matches their area of expertise and preparation. It is very possible for a teacher to meet all the qualifications and still not meet the highly qualified definition if the class assignment is outside the teacher's academic certification. Let me be very clear about my position on this issue. I know that teachers in Oregon classrooms are "highly qualified," and I am working to ensure that Washington, DC understands that, too. On September 3, the U.S. Department of Education sent its Highly Qualified Teacher Assistance Team to meet with the Oregon Department. We were the first state in the nation to request a meeting, and ODE and our partners (State Board of Education, Teacher Standards and Practices Commission, Oregon Education Association, Confederation of Oregon School Administrators, Oregon School Boards Association, Oregon School Employees Association, and others) spent the entire day "pushing back" on the definition, especially as it relates to middle school teachers. I am continuing to work with our partners to streamline requirements, to build in more flexibility, to strengthen professional development, and to recognize the high level of competence of Oregon's teachers. We also need to build more support for the things we know make teaching attractive as a career, especially adequate compensation, well-equipped classrooms, and reasonable class sizes. I will continue to deliver our message that Oregon teachers are well prepared and the current federal definition needs to be adjusted to fit the real world. I am confident that we are making progress -- and that Washington, DC is finally listening. |
| Source | ODE |
| Inputdate | 2003-09-26 12:00:00 |
| Lastmodifieddate | 2003-09-26 12:00:00 |
| Expdate | Not set |
| Publishdate | Not set |
| Displaydate | Not set |
| Active | 1 |
| Emailed | 1 |
| Isarchived | 1 |
