New Texas Education Agency data reveals a sharp spike in the number of educators who didn’t hold a state certification or permit when they were employed as...
But doing so raises questions about how ready such teachers are to take on a classroom. Novice educators – whether they go through traditional training or not – often struggle at first, state data show.
“We should not be quick to make assumptions about the districts’ decisions to hire uncertified teachers,” she said. “The increase in uncertified teachers could be due to districts exercising flexibilities granted to them by state policies.” Templeton’s team hasn’t studied the degree to which those teachers are impacting students yet, she noted, but she expects researchers will try to zero-in on it as numbers are climbing.
Dallas brought in about 335 teachers via the new exemption as of mid-September, said Robert Abel, chief of human capital management. The district employs more than 10,000 teachers.Related:Other districts made similar moves as staffing challenges mounted. Many specify that an uncertified teacher must be degreed or have a professional license related to their subject.
Roughly 28% of new teacher hires — the largest share — were classified as “re-entry” last year. That means they were previously certified and working, but are now resuming employment as a teacher after a break or reassignment. About 3% of new hires had an out-of-state teaching certification, while about 15% came in with a standard certificate after going through clinical teaching and getting employed in the first possible year.Dominique McCain, a managing director with Commit Partnership, said she expects the number of uncertified new hires will drop as state leaders focus on teacher recruitment and retention.