The shortage of qualified teachers, especially in our cities, is tragic. During previous teacher shortages, policy makers issued emergency certificates and discounted professional preparation just to get warm bodies into schools. These actions resulted in a large but relatively ill-prepared teaching force. School performance suffered and America's faith in its schools declined.
Good teachers are thinkers and problem solvers.
Many of these programs take into account the individual's previous work experience and offer course work during the evening or on weekends to accommodate the needs of adult learners. Not everyone will make it through one of these programs, and that's as it should be. Responsible professional preparation programs will screen-out people who should not be teachers before they get into classrooms. We don't let people become licensed pharmacists because they've spent time in a drug store. All rights reserved.