Rigorous Licensure Standards

In the early chapters of Special Interest Terry Moe spends much of his energy in attacking the power of the teacher unions. He claims that teachers unions are the heart of the problem when it comes to organization and reform (Moe, 2011, p. 20). While Moe claims the NEA (National Education Association) and the AFT (American Federation of Teachers) have historically lobbied against many reform programs, including voucher programs, charter schools, and merit pay programs, there is also evidence where teachers’ unions have supported new reforms. They have introduced new charter schools and have based salaries on merit pay programs. Former NEA president Bob Chase delivered a speech in 1997 claiming that the NEA was on the forefront of education reform. He stated that the NEA invested 70 million dollars on reform initiatives and sponsored six charter schools across the country (Chase, 1997, p. 372). Educational policy makers should be in particular interest to these examples especially if they believe in the effectiveness of reform programs. If policy makers understand the thinking behind why the unions support or oppose reforms, better policies can be put in place. In addition, policy makers in partnership with the teachers unions can work hand in hand to successfully coordinate reforms in American education.

The state board of education governs the way that education is directed within the state. They create policies covering a variety of legal issues such as health and safety, minimum requirements for teacher licensure, graduation requirements, rights of students with disabilities, and student disciplinary practices. The state school boards has six legal powers including, certification standards for teachers and administrators, high school graduation requirements, state testing programs, accreditation standards for school districts, and teacher and administrator

In the year of 2011, there were 3.2 million teachers who were employed at public schools throughout the nation, which served close to 50 million children in grades kindergarten through twelfth (Feistritzer, 2011). Currently, to be employed as a teacher in the United States, one must obtain a Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited college or university, and be certificated in the state that one wishes to be employed. The certification serves as a teaching credential, which is needed for teachers in all states.

As schools were faced with these daunting expectations to meet standards, state agencies, school boards, and administration all had to re-evaluate current practices, not only in the form of what should be taught, but how it should be taught (Performance Evaluation Advisory Council, n.d.). In more appropriate terms,

Especially the CA teachers association, largest professional employer organization, working to advocate for student and teacher’s needs. This makes it a special interest group, is very powerful in getting

Sojourner Truth was enslaved for 28 years of her life. Even though she could not read or write, she was an excellent public speaker. In her speech ‘Ain’t I a Woman,’ Sojourner Truth’s strong-willed and courageous character is revealed through her examples in the speech. Truth’s examples of how she has done a lot of hard work and how she and other women could work just as well as men reveal her strong-willed character.

The nation over training change promotion associations are demonstrating that when vital, centered, and tenacious, they can change political will. These crude not-for-profit backing gatherings are bringing dependable, fact based, unprejudiced voices for education change to their state capitals. Those gatherings will convey a truly necessary open voice to how those arrangements are formed.

A review of the sample questions presented on the National Board Website has opened my eyes to the depth of knowledge a teacher is expected to demonstrate when seeking national board certification. When I first began considering National Board Certification I expected the content knowledge portion of the test to consist of Algebra, Geometry, Data Analysis, and the other common math concepts, but I did not consider the possibility of being tested in the areas of trigonometry and calculus because these are not areas that I teach. In fact, these are areas I will have to brush up in and review because I have not looked at a Calculus or Trigonometry problem since by second year of college during my undergraduate degree.

National Board for Professional Teaching standards was founded in 1987 it is an independent, nonprofit organization that works to advance teachers for students on every level. Their mission is to “The founding mission of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards is to advance the quality of teaching and learning by: maintaining high and rigorous standards for what accomplished teachers should know and be able to do; providing a national voluntary system certifying teachers who meet these standards; advocating related education reforms to integrate National Board Certification in American education and to capitalize on the expertise of National Board

Many living beings have to face dark and poor times in their lives due to leaders choosing to make bad laws or because the leader chose to be a dictator. In Chapter 3, is the time when Napoleon starts to become a leader that will change Animal Farm in the future. According to my topic example, these real life events are happening in Animal Farm and also in the real life world we have had many dictators or traitors that lead to dangerous events to occur and that’s what Napoleon did in the story in Chapter 5 through 10. Also, he makes laws that isn’t fair for the other Animals that aren’t pigs because he feel like pigs are more worthy.

Several pieces of background knowledge were presented regarding the topic of DAP and Nationally Board certified teachers in the journal. According to Rushton & Larkin (2001), the use of developmentally appropriate practices helps the development of the brain in young children. “Research also indicates that teachers who achieve National Board certification positively affect student learning and raise student test scores and performance (Cavalluzzo, 2004; Vandevoort et al., 2004), that students of National Board certified teachers (NBCTs) have a deeper understanding of subject matter than students taught by non-NBCTs (Bond et al., 2000), and that NBCTs are more adept at meeting the individual needs of leaners” (Bond et al., 2000). Goldhaber & Anthony, (2004), Harris & Sass, (2007), suggest that despite the previous findings there is little impact on student achievement with teachers who are National Board certified. McKenzie (2013), states that the evidence that National Board certification improves teacher quality and affects student learning is not

A strong, intelligent, independent boy is what every traditional Chinese family wants. Unfortunately, Sek-Lung is not such an ideal child. In the novel, The Jade Peony, Sek-Lung is a marginal character. He is rejected by the dominant group, first being made to feel insignificant and second to feel uncomfortably visible.

Therefore, teacher certifications should be loosened. States do need to make it a bit more difficult to receive a teaching certification. Teachers need to be trained in the subject they are going to teach and have some experience with children. They also need to have significant mentoring, continuing assistance and support, and a variety of enticements to keep them in the profession. To address the teacher shortage issue, states need to do more than just produce a higher number of untrained teachers faster. Recruiting more teachers will not solve the teacher shortage issue. Policymakers need to find a way to keep teachers in the field (Ingersoll and Smith 32). They must invest in the teaching profession, provide high standards for teachers, and increase their salaries, and they also should improve working conditions that impact student achievement and teacher success. Our society needs to recognize teaching as an essential profession. “Those who recruit new teachers need to remember that they are not just responsible for the next generation of teachers, but also for the future of our schools” (Tell

* Teacher Qualifications: By the end of the 2005-06 school year, every teacher in core content areas working in a public school had to be "highly qualified" in each subject he or she taught. Under the law, "highly qualified" generally meant that a teacher was certified and demonstrably proficient in his or her subject matter. Beginning with the 2002-03 school year, all new teachers hired with federal Title I money had to be "highly qualified." By the end of the 2005-06 school year, all school paraprofessionals hired with Title I money must have completed

The NEA and the AFT represent millions of teachers throughout the country. Moe indicates that teachers unions are known has political powerhouses which contribute millions of dollars to campaign contributions and lobbying. Fortune Magazine has consistently ranked National Education Association in the top 15 of its Washington Power 25 list for influence in the nation’s capital. The American Federation of Teachers along with the National Education Association has given more than $60 million combined in campaign contributions over the last 20 years (Moe 267). Ballot initiatives that are created in to order to begin school reform usually are defeated because their huge sums of moneys that come from these unions in order to defeat a ballot that can jeopardize a teacher’s job. Let’s keep in mind that unions are designed to protect the interest of the teachers, unions are not designed to help the interest of children. The unions use this money mostly to demand special interest for the teachers, such as imposing a structure at the workplace giving teacher’s rights and restricting managerial control. Teacher unions are by far the most powerful forces in American education and use their power to promote their own special interests at any expense.