August (09) Update

VITAMIN Education PROJECT
SHAPING THE TEACHING PROFESSION

QUESTIONS FROM THE OUTCOMES, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND ACCOUNTABILITY TEAM:

Our group started with a review of the teaching profession as we’ve experienced it. We came to a few points of early agreement including:
• We do not have a “teacher problem” – we have a large corps of very effective, dedicated professionals committed to their students and to steadily improving their own skills.
• We do not have a “bad teacher problem” – our schools already do a good job of identifying the occasional weak teacher and, if necessary, moving them out of the profession.

That said, our group did identify a number of strategic issues. We invite responses from teachers and other education professionals including changes/additions to the questions themselves.

Special note: assume that any changes we propose will be ‘grandparented’ – that there will be a rational, fair transition to the new framework. Also, these are some initial thoughts; we still have work to do surrounding accountability and evaluations, but we welcome your input on our work so far.

A – NEW TEACHER QUALIFICATIONS
1. What core qualifications should beginning teachers have when they graduate?

2. What alternative or non-traditional sources of teachers ought we to consider? (I.e., should we try to recruit older individuals into teaching from other professions? )
B – LEVELS OF RECOGNIZED TEACHER EXPERTISE
3. Do you agree there ought to be three levels (as suggested by HB 2261) – a beginning/probationary level, a second more skilled level, and a teacher-leader “master” level?

4. How long do you think the beginning/probationary level ought to be? And what criteria would you set for completing this stage of career development?

5. How should Professional Certification and/or National Board Certification fit into the levels of recognized teacher expertise?

C – Principal/Administrator Qualifications
6. What core qualifications should beginning principals/administrators have?

7. Should there be a minimum number of years of classroom experience?

D – PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
8. How would you design the professional development regime in a building?

9. How would you design the professional development regime in a district?

10. What role would you like the principal to take?

11. There is a complicated welter of credentials and additional education requirements. How would you simplify and rationalize the credentials requirements and options?

E – COMPENSATION STRATEGY
12. What should distinguish differentiation in compensation at the three proposed levels of teacher expertise?

F – RETIREMENT ISSUES
13. After 30 years experience in the classroom, how can we find a way for those who want to retire to be able to do so?

14. What other work possibilities within the educational system, but outside the classroom, might you envision to carry you to retirement?

G – OTHER THOUGHTS?
15. What other concerns do you have or ideas you would like the Vitamin E teams to consider?