PARENTS’ FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)

ABOUT “HIGHLY QUALIFIED” TEACHERS

Why is teacher quality such an important issue?

Research demonstrates the clear correlation between student academic achievement and teacher quality.  A major objective of No Child Left Behind is to ensure “highly qualified” teachers and paraprofessionals in all of the nation’s classrooms.  A well-prepared teacher is vitally important to a child’s education, regardless of the student’s race, ethnicity or income. 

What does the term “highly qualified” teacher mean?

In order to be designated as “highly qualified,” a teacher must have full certification, a bachelor’s degree and demonstrated competence in the subjects he/she is teaching. 

Specifically, to achieve the designation as “highly qualified,” all teachers teaching in any Core Academic Subject area (including early childhood and elementary) must:

• Hold at least a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education (IHE) and meet one of the following conditions:
• Hold an Advanced Professional Certificate (APC) or National Board Certificate (NBC)
• Hold a Resident Teacher Certificate (RTC) or Standard Professional certificate (SPC) and have passed all applicable Praxis examination requirements OR
• Hold a Standard Professional Certificate (SPC) and meet required point count under the High Objective Uniform State Standard Evaluation (HOUSSE) AND
• Teach in the field of certification endorsement

What are the Core Academic Subjects?

The Core Academic Subjects are:

• English
• Reading or Language Arts
• Mathematics
• Science
• Social Studies: Civics and Government, History, Geography, Economics
• Foreign Languages
• Art, Music, Dance, Drama/Theatre

Do all teachers have to meet the “highly qualified” criteria?

Only those teachers teaching core academic subjects have to meet the Federal government designation of being “highly qualified.”  Special Education and ESOL teachers who teach a core academic subject must be “highly qualified” in that content area.  Teachers who provide instruction in non-core academic subjects are not mandated to meet Federal “highly qualified” requirements. LINK

Does this law apply to all schools: elementary, middle and high?

Yes.

Why are some teachers designated as “not highly qualified”?

New federal criteria have been established to identify “highly qualified” teachers.  However, statewide chronic teacher shortages have caused school systems to employ college graduates who may not meet the criteria.  Additionally, in some instances, a “highly qualified” teacher may be assigned to teach outside of his/her field of certification endorsement, and is therefore also designated “not highly qualified.”   In a proactive manner, PGCPS is aggressively providing assistance and resources to insure that individuals meet the new criteria for the “highly qualified” teacher designation.

If my child has a substitute teacher, does he/she have to be designated “highly qualified”?

A substitute teacher serving in the same classroom for four or more consecutive weeks must meet the “highly qualified” criteria.

When must a parent receive notification that a teacher not “highly qualified” is teaching their child?

Schools must provide a timely notice that a parent’s child has been assigned to, or has been taught for four or more consecutive weeks by a teacher who is “not highly qualified.”

What information do I as a parent have a “right to know” about teacher quality?

Parents have the right to request the following information about the personal qualifications of their child’s classroom teachers:

• Any college or university degrees or certification held by the teacher
• The subject area of the teacher’s degree or certification
• Whether or not the teacher is certified by the State of Maryland to teach a particular grade level or subject area
• Whether or not the teacher holds a conditional certificate
• Whether or not the child is served by a paraprofessional and, if so, the qualifications of the paraprofessional