Welcome to The Senate Site

SB48 - Teacher Licensing by Competency Amendments, passed the Senate today and is headed to the house. This bill changes the requirements to obtain a competency-based license to teach. During the debate on the floor, Senator Goodfellow successfully amended the bill to apply only to those who wish to teach middle school and high school.

Senator Buttars, the bill's sponsor, answered reporters' questions about the bill in today's Media Briefing.

3 Comments:

 Anonymous said...

The essence of this bill, attracting experienced teachers to our schools is good, but Senator Buttars’ attitude and words are detrimental. I hope my children don’t buy the vile stance toward their teachers taken by Senator Buttars. Being successful in the world doesn’t guarantee success as a teacher and having a teaching degree doesn’t equate to a poor teacher.

2/13/2009 7:04 PM  

 sutherland said...

"Those who can,do. Those who can't, teach," is so far from true!! Many highly intelligent, tallented people leave the profession every year because the challenges are way beyond sharing knowledge. On the job training is essential. That's why student teaching is required by Universities.

2/14/2009 1:57 PM  

 Tom said...

So, the bill would remove existing ARL opportunities for elementary school teachers, ... and changes "may grant" to "shall grant" (which is essentially current practice anyway) ... what is the Senator actually trying to change?

Districts can (and do) do hire people with bachelor's degrees and no teaching license already, through the "Alternative Route to Licensure" (ARL) program. IIRC, The license is good for three years, usable immediately, and requires participants to pursue some basic training in how to teach (which, if you've every been to a university, is clearly not the same as knowing) and how to manage a classroom of unruly students. To keep a teaching license after three years, the person must show progress in this additional training. Are the training requirements excessive? Maybe, but completely eliminating them with no consequence for not participating may not be the right approach.

The Senator is confusing having a license with being hired.

... and I concur that the Senator's condescending tone is insulting to existing teachers. (And seems to miss that math teachers get to follow a district curriculum.)

What is this other than a bill for one guy he knows (an inappropriate genesis) and a chance to get some positive (or at least less negative) media attention?

And by the way, senators, the Utah School Boards Association and Superintendent's Association (those who do the hiring) are opposed to the bill. Has the senator worked with them to find out why?

2/14/2009 10:34 PM  

Post a Comment

<< Home

Twitter Updates

Follow @UtahSenate on Twitter