To: The United States House of Representatives and The United States Senate
Tell Congress: EVERY Child Deserves a Trained Teacher
This month, as part of the FY14 Continuing Resolution legislative package, Congress may consider an amendment that labels teachers-in-training “highly qualified” and permits these untrained teachers to be unfairly concentrated in our nation’s highest-need schools. I respectfully urge you to oppose this harmful amendment as well as any federal policy that permits the continued concentration of untrained teachers in schools and classrooms serving low-income students, students of color, students with disabilities, English learners, and students from high-need rural communities.
Parents deserve to know the qualifications of their child’s teacher, and indeed, this is their right under the No Child Left Behind Act. However, if the Highly Qualified Teacher Amendment passes, parents and the public will be denied this critical information.
Moreover, major education policy decisions affecting the quality of teacher every child is guaranteed under federal law should not be made through an appropriations bill. This violates fundamental principles of our democracy. This important issue should instead be debated as part of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) reauthorization.
Please oppose the Highly Qualified Teacher Amendment. Instead, I urge you to fight for a federal standard for teacher quality that ensures that all students are taught by teachers who are well-prepared on day one in the classroom and who prove themselves effective once there.
Parents deserve to know the qualifications of their child’s teacher, and indeed, this is their right under the No Child Left Behind Act. However, if the Highly Qualified Teacher Amendment passes, parents and the public will be denied this critical information.
Moreover, major education policy decisions affecting the quality of teacher every child is guaranteed under federal law should not be made through an appropriations bill. This violates fundamental principles of our democracy. This important issue should instead be debated as part of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) reauthorization.
Please oppose the Highly Qualified Teacher Amendment. Instead, I urge you to fight for a federal standard for teacher quality that ensures that all students are taught by teachers who are well-prepared on day one in the classroom and who prove themselves effective once there.
Why is this important?
Certifying someone as a “highly qualified” teacher when they have little training and have not been certified is like saying someone is a doctor just because they own a stethoscope. That'd be ridiculous and dangerous — so why would Congress do that to our teachers and most importantly to our nation’s children?
Congress will soon vote on a budget bill that will likely include a harmful education amendment. The “Highly Qualified Teachers Amendment” would permanently allow teachers-in-training to be labeled as “highly qualified!
Calling teachers ‘highly qualified’ is supposed to mean that teachers are trained and certified, which protects kids from a constant stream of unprepared, uncertified teachers. Federal law is supposed to give parents and caregivers information about the preparation and credentials of the teachers in their children’s schools. It is also supposed to address the problem that low-income students, students of color, students with disabilities, English Language Learners, and rural students are being disproportionately taught by less-prepared and less effective teachers, including many uncertified intern teachers.
Contact your legislators today and tell them every child deserves to have a fully-prepared teacher on day one in the classroom.
Now, special interests are lobbying – they don’t want you to know that some programs are sending teachers with little to no training or experience into the classroom.
We have the right to know how prepared people are for the job.
Take action now to support a fully-trained teacher for every child!
Thank you for standing up today for our students!
Congress will soon vote on a budget bill that will likely include a harmful education amendment. The “Highly Qualified Teachers Amendment” would permanently allow teachers-in-training to be labeled as “highly qualified!
Calling teachers ‘highly qualified’ is supposed to mean that teachers are trained and certified, which protects kids from a constant stream of unprepared, uncertified teachers. Federal law is supposed to give parents and caregivers information about the preparation and credentials of the teachers in their children’s schools. It is also supposed to address the problem that low-income students, students of color, students with disabilities, English Language Learners, and rural students are being disproportionately taught by less-prepared and less effective teachers, including many uncertified intern teachers.
Contact your legislators today and tell them every child deserves to have a fully-prepared teacher on day one in the classroom.
Now, special interests are lobbying – they don’t want you to know that some programs are sending teachers with little to no training or experience into the classroom.
We have the right to know how prepared people are for the job.
Take action now to support a fully-trained teacher for every child!
Thank you for standing up today for our students!