In an attempt to remedy the gap for disadvantaged students under the federal Every Student Succeeds Act, each state is required to report whether disadvantaged students have less qualified teachers.
In response, California may have a new definition for effective teaching, defining an “ineffective teacher” as someone who is improperly assigned or does not have proper credentials. As reported by the Los Angeles Times, the plan, which was approved last week by the Board of Education, is raising controversy over quantifying performance based on these criteria, and leaving little room for interpretation. The board has less than two months before a deadline to submit its plan to the federal government. The proposal to define “ineffective teacher” in the state was drawn using language from a California Teachers Assn. union proposal. Critics of the new definition argue that it doesn’t quantify educators impact on students or hold ineffective credentialed teachers responsible.
Larry speaks to two education experts today to find out the pros and cons of using credentials as a barometer for teaching effectiveness.
Correction: We originally stated that we reached out to the California Board of Education. We incorrectly reached out to the California Dept. of Education. KPCC regrets the error.
Pedro Noguera, Ph.D., distinguished professor of education at the UCLA Graduate School of Education