State
to seek leeway on special ed
Need to teach multiple subjects means
instructors may not meet stiffer federal rules
Friday, March 25, 2005 • BY BEV McCARRON •
Star-Ledger Staff
Next month, when state and federal education officials
sit down to discuss the progress that New Jersey's teachers
have made becoming "highly qualified" under the No Child
Left Behind Act, the state is expected to do well -- except
for special education teachers.
By next June, all teachers must meet new federal
mandates that require they possess a bachelor's degree and a
state-issued teaching certificate. They also must show
mastery of a subject by taking a state test, having majored
in a content area, or having earned points through a
combination of factors.
While 94 percent of New Jersey teachers met the
benchmarks last year -- one of the highest rates in the
country -- many special education teachers haven't.
Previously, New Jersey and other states only asked
special education teachers to be certified in special
education, not in each subject being taught, as now required
by No Child.
Data compiled by the state Department of Education last
year show that 35 percent of special education teachers in
urban high schools were not highly qualified, while 15
percent of their counterparts in other districts failed to
meet the mark.
The statistics were similar for middle school, with 35
percent in urban schools falling short and 12 percent in the
rest of the state.
Jay Doolan, director of the state office of academic and
professional standards, said that during the April 11
meeting with federal monitors, New Jersey plans to ask for
flexibility in getting special education teachers up to
par.
"I would pose to them the question: In order to ensure a
good pool of special education teachers, can the deadline
for highly qualified be extended?" he said.
Special education teachers in middle and high schools,
who often teach multiple subjects, face an additional
problem. A number of them work with emergency certificates
issued by the state because of a teaching shortage. Only
full certification is acceptable under federal law.
In Paterson, for instance, 65 percent of special
education teachers don't meet the standard because many have
emergency certificates.
"If the feds say, 'After such and such a date, you can't
have emergency certification and you can't teach without
full certification,' how are you going to replace all these
people?" said teachers union president Pete Tirri.
Jerome Smart, who started out four years ago with an
emergency certificate, got a master's degree in special
education so he could get a standard certificate.
But Smart, who has been teaching in Paterson for four
years, has learned he still won't be "highly qualified"
because he teaches a variety of subjects to his students,
who are in grades 5 through 8.
"Now I'm hearing I have to be certified in every subject
area," he said. "That's not fair and that's not
reasonable."
The law does allow another way for teachers to show
their mastery of a content area by earning points through a
combination of factors, including years teaching,
professional training hours accumulated or college course
work.
While districts have complained about the requirements,
special education advocates say the law has exposed a
problem: Special education children have been shortchanged
by having teachers who aren't held to the same standards as
other teachers.
The Statewide Parent Advocacy Network would oppose any
extension in meeting the "highly qualified" rules, said
co-director Diana Autin.
"This has been a major area of concern because all of
those children are being held accountable for knowing the
core curriculum content. And their teachers don't know the
core curriculum standards themselves," Autin said.
"How can anybody expect a student to be able to master
algebra if they have a teacher who doesn't know algebra?
Spec ed teachers don't learn algebra, they learn
strategies."
Doolan said changes are being made to New Jersey's
licensing laws to align them with the new federal law, and
colleges are adjusting their teaching programs so that
teachers who graduate in special education will be able to
meet the federal mandate.
State requirements also call for teachers with emergency
certificates to get their licenses by January 2006. He said
the department isn't certain what penalties are in store for
districts or teachers who fail to make the "highly
qualified" cut-off, and hopes to clarify that when the
federal officials visit. Districts are not supposed to fire
teachers.
"Obviously we want to let them know we want teachers to
be highly qualified, but we want to have class coverage," he
said.
Bev McCarron covers education. She may be reached at
(908) 429-3018 or bmccarron@starledger.com.
© 2005 The Star-Ledger. Used by NJ.com with
permission.
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