Teacher preparation matters

What kind of preparation do teachers need to be effective? This is an important question when considering the challenges Oklahoma schools face.

During the 2018-2019 school year, the state Board of Education approved more than 3,000 emergency teaching certificates. The only initial requirement for those with emergency certification is to have completed a bachelor's degree.

While they are wellmeaning, prior to being in the classroom these novices are not required to take any education or content courses — no mandate for prior work with children; no coursework on children's learning, development or teaching methods; and no certification exams.

Emergency certification in Oklahoma is a short-term fix; we need long-term solutions that will best serve our state's children.

Teacher preparation matters. While completing degrees in education, Oklahoma university-prepared teachers evidence strong subject-area knowledge and understand multiple culturally relevant ways of teaching and assessing.

Before day one of teaching, they have spent over 625 hours in classrooms. They have completed rigorous coursework, passed all certification exams, and learned the science and art of teaching. They are significantly more likely to stay in this immensely challenging and profoundly rewarding profession.

In short, teacher education graduates enter the classroom ready to nourish the learning and lives of children.

The Oklahoma Association of Colleges of Teacher

Education proposes three long-term solutions to fill the quality gap in the state's teaching force: implement state-funded loan forgiveness and/or scholarship funds for university-prepared teachers, differentiate beginning salaries based on certification pathway, and allocate state funds to university-prepared teachers for certification exams. They are the only new teachers who must pass all exams before beginning in the classroom!

Additionally, it's very important to restore funding for the First Year Teacher program, which supports teacher retention. Our state led the nation with this program, which is no longer funded.

These proposals to increase the quality of teachers in Oklahoma's schools require a commitment from the state to allocate funds to incentivize comprehensive universitybased teacher preparation. Apart from family background, teacher quality is the greatest factor in student learning; prepared teachers have a significant positive impact on student learning.

Please consider the educators you want for your own children and grandchildren. The educational well-being of our children today directly affects the economic wellbeing of our state tomorrow.

We cannot offer our children back those years in classrooms with unprepared teachers. Let's make it our common goal to ensure that each child has a teacher with the professional knowledge, skills and dispositions to manage the complexities of teaching from the very first day of school.