Houston school situation gets worse. Asking for approval to hire non-certified teachers to fill gaps reveals reviled superintendent also non-certified
Posted by
Qale
Aug 2 '23, 08:07
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Under state law in Texas, anyone who wishes to become a teacher must obtain a bachelor's degree, complete an educator preparation program, pass the appropriate certification exams and apply to be certified by the state, according to the TEA. Teachers can go through a university-based program or an alternative certification program, a nontraditional route that may allow uncertified participants to work as a teacher while completing program requirements.
A waiver from the state, however, allows individuals to teach with no certification, teaching experience or education degree. Districts may also hire uncertified teachers using one-year emergency permits, which are activated with state approval when a district is unable to fill vacancies with certified professionals. Charter schools in Texas are allowed to hire uncertified teachers for most positions with no waiver, according to the TEA.
HISD started the 2022-2023 school year with more than 600 teacher vacancies across its 274 campuses, an "unacceptable" number that the new administration hopes to slash considerably with a certification waiver, according to Miles' spokesperson. The district on Monday declined to release an exact number of teacher vacancies, but said it has fewer open spots compared to this time last year.
TEA had not received a teacher certification waiver request from HISD through Friday, according to the state agency. State records show that HISD had not obtained a certification waiver in the last decade until Miles secured one in June that allows him to serve in his role with no active superintendent certification.
Districts must get approval from the local school board before submitting a teacher certification waiver application, according to TEA, and the waiver can be approved for up to three school years. The waiver cannot be applied to special education, bilingual education, English as a Second Language or pre-kindergarten teachers, according to the state agency. Teacher vacancies and teacher certification waivers are both topics on the agenda for an HISD board work session scheduled for Thursday evening.
Principals will decide where to place the uncertified teachers depending on their campus staffing needs, according to HISD, and the new teachers will have opportunities for professional development and intensive training like their peers. The jobs are open to anyone with a bachelor's degree and candidates do not need to be enrolled in an educator preparation program.
The district is looking to fill gaps in part by recruiting from its pool of uncertified substitute teachers, who typically fill classrooms on a temporary basis.
The hiring decision has alarmed some parents and educators, including Michelle Williams, president of the Houston Education Association, who said she is opposed to the district "opening up the floodgates."
"Anybody with a pulse and a clean background, he’s telling them to come to HISD," she said. "How is that fair to children?"
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