Should teachers be required to renew their credentials?

Question

I have business certificates that have to be kept current and renewed every two years. Should teachers be held to similar standards?

Wow! Looks like a hit a nerve or two. Keep it going, I am intrigued by the responses.

Answer 1

With any school system I have dealt with, teachers must stay abreast in their subject matter expertise by either taking courses, writing aritcles for publication, or a combination of the two. Teachers should "want" to keep their credentials current and not get stagnated. Stagnation is a leading cause for teacher burnout, therefore, the teachers should indeed be required to keep current. I don't necessarily think they must "renew", but by keeping up with the standards and the times in their field, they are sure to be on top of their game.

As mentioned, many school districts have methods in place to keep teachers current, such as requiring them to earn points each year, or every two - three years. These points are earned by taking courses, writing published articles, etc.

Answer 2

In Michigan, they ARE required to renew their certification. Some older teachers have a permanent certificate, but they are no longer available.

All teachers now start with a provisional certificate good for up to 5 years. They are required to teach for 3 of those years and take further classes and continuing education. After this, teachers receive a professional certificate. (they can renew this provisional certificate once if they do not have the years of teaching experience or all their continuing education, but this still requires at least half of the continuing education be completed).

This professional certificate must also be renewed every 5 years. There is also a continuing education requirement to renew this professional certificate.

So, at least in Michigan, teachers are not only held to similar standards, they are held to higher standards including further training and education.

Answer 3

Well if you ever asked a teacher, they do in a way have to renew their credentials. In minnesota, you have to take a certain number of continuing education credits before you can receive your updated license. There is a 5 year window in which to complete this and there are a certain number of credits that are required. I don't know what other states require, but Minnesota has a very high standard and if you do not meet the requirements, it is much harder to have a license renewed.

Answer 4

I'm with a few of the posters above - in my state I have to renew my license every 5 years. To do so I have to take a certain number of classes (which can be professional development type classes or grad classes in subject matter or pedagogy). Also, in our district our pay is basically frozen until we get more graduate credits - so there is a lot of motivation to get advanced degrees.

I do see the value in having to renew credentials, but sometimes I wish that it didn't take so much time. I am a second year teacher teaching all new classes and the classes that I have to take at night to maintain my licensure do get in the way of my lesson planning and grading, but seem like a necessary evil since my district is greatly subsidizing the cost of the credits I can receive for the class.

Answer 5

Well, I've been teaching for 13 years. I've seen my share of incompetent teachers. They went to (and passed) college classes, have their degrees, and are certified. Basically, anyone can get all the pieces of paper required to teach. That doesn't make someone a good teacher. Like any profession, teaching has people of all different levels of ability. Some are better than others.

People become teachers for the same reason people become police officers, fire fighters, missionaries, nurses or social workers (or any service job). They either fall into it because they don't know what else to do, or they are truly called to the profession. Those called to teaching take the process seriously and agonize over every lesson, quiz, and homework assignment.

There is a fallacy that keep coming up though. People think that once a teacher gets certified they are done with school. That's not the case. Even after getting a Master's and certification, teachers must take a specific number of credits every year in order to keep their certification and their jobs. Otherwise they are in violation of their contract. This is probably true in most states. I know it is in NY. Also, your pay step is frozen if you don't continue. Being a good teacher is about not only conveying information to students, but continuing to learn yourself.

When you talk about testing teachers you come up against a big problem. What makes someone effective in the classroom is not something easily tested on paper with a test. I don't think its a question of knowing your subject. Most people can memorize vast amount of information. Its the ability to convey information to others. Personal teaching strategies are things you develop. They are not taught. No professor can prepare you for the realities of the classroom. As a good teacher, you must be able to walk into a classroom and read the mood; then adjust your style to that room.

Our style and ability are tested every year. We are observed while teaching by our principals, supervisors, etc. We are evaluated. Those evaluations go to superintendents. Now, what happens with those evaluations is another story. If the bureaucrats above decide to ignore the evaluatons and leave someone who is incompetent in the classroom, then the problem is with the beuracrats, not the teachers. Trust me, there is nothing more frustrating to a good teacher than teaching across the hall from an idiot who should not be in a classroom.

All that being said, its also the responsibility of students to come to school willing to receive the knowledge being offered and not interfere with the education of other students. No one has the right to impede the education of others. I think that some teachers are required to exert more energy controlling poor behavior and providing order in the classroom that they do teaching. That is mentally exhausting.

If good teachers could just go into class and teach, which is what they are paid to do, I think there would be far less complaints from teachers, parents, students, and the community as a whole.

The right to an education comes with the responsibility to do one's best to receive knowledge.

I moved to a new school this year and was given a great gift. I have an incredible 8th grade homeroom. These young men and women are the most interesting, loving people I've ever had the privilege of teaching. They came to me with different gifts and talents and levels of ability. Some do better than others academically. However, they come each day with a respect for the education they are receiving and listen, take notes, and respond with enthusiasm and great care. Graduation is going to be devastating for all of us. I will miss them greatly. The only solice I have is that all of the children in the 5th through 7th grades are equally wonderful and I will have the chance to teach them all.

Answer 6

I guess I'm going to go in the middle here. Teachers, in any subject, need to keep the teaching FRESH. too many teachers teach the same thing over and over in the same way w/o changes. BORING. and when that happens, teachers become complacent. I think More than that, that tenure should be eliminated. After your 6th contract, you have a job, basically for life, and you don't have to worry very much. You might be a fab teacher for those 6 years, but, once tenured, you don't have any reason to really "educate" yourself. The saying "I've always done it this way" starts to apply. The PROBLEM with it is going to be the time factor. Finding a school that DOES what they need may be more difficult than you think. Yes, I know INTERNET COURSES, but, I have a friend doing that and, well, its not that easy. If you are a face to face learner, the internet course will be extremely difficult. Its a catch 22 but I do believe it has to happen. It will be the IMPLIMENTATION that will be the tricky part and LORD KNOWS the NEA will have a hissy fit.

Answer 7

Teachers need not be required to renew their credentials. Taking a standard test is not a good measure of a good teacher. Once the credential is earned, that form of testing & review would be rather redundant. Teachers are continually reviewed and required to meet standards primarily through:

-principal and peer review/observations in the classrooms
-superindendant & school board " " " " " " "
-accountability for yearly student performance, both in the classroom and on standardized testing

The credentialling that is not going on, and should be, is the credential that should be earned by people who choose to have children and then:

-expect others to raise them, w/ little or no involvement in the process
-vote for politicians who advocate policies that demand teachers teach to standardized testing rather than to the individual child

.....just my ever so humble opinion. I'll stop now.

Answer 8

Where I live, we do have to renew our license. It used to be that teachers would get a lifelong license, but that ended some time ago. But also, we have so much in service training that can count for renewal, it should be fairly easy to do. You will find that a lot of teachers have master's degrees nowadays (I have 2) because they just go for another degree since they have to take more hours anyway.

Answer 9

Your question is common. It assumes we do not do anything. It stems from a blame the teacher mentality.

We already have advanced degrees. Many of us are required to have master's degrees. Our pay structure is already tied to advanced degrees. We have passed subject matter verification tests that our states have required. We have federally mandated requirements to continue training. We have all had to do work to be federally "highly qualified" in our subjects. Our States require us to continue training. Districts require us to continue training on a monthly basis at our school site. Schools require us to plan together on a weekly basis. I must renew my credential every 5 years, and be evaluated every two by my administration.

I would say that we already do what you suggest, and further it is more detailed than your "certificate" you must apply for every two years. I

Answer 10

We DO have to renew our credentials every five years!! We must have either college credit hours or inservice training in order to renew our teaching certificate. Which, of course, costs $$$$.