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I tend not to get too hung up on the degree itself, but to clarify, the article indicates that the conditional licenses are offered to those who complete a semester of a masters education program and already hold a bachelor's outside of education.
As far as I'm concerned, I believe we need to reexamine the traditional 4-year college degree model, generally speaking. The university system has become bloated and expensive, and the only solution we've floated with any seriousness is deflecting the cost to other people. This "fast track" option actually attacks the problem at its source.
The undergraduate degree is often packed with filler material that is only intended to 1) make the degree take the full four years, and 2) provide job security for professors. I had to take an aerobics class one year just to fulfill a PE requirement because it's the only one that fit into my schedule. The time spent in classes outside of your actual degree program could be better spent in field observation or experience, or more intensive training and practice in degree-related coursework.
I know some will balk at the idea of anything considered to be a "fast track" to teaching, but I do want to see things change. If this works, then the 4-year colleges will need to do something to in order to compete. I say, let's try it.
Pro
Let’s be honest, what I learned in my teaching prep courses in undergrad, was not useful in the real world classroom. This seems to be the consensus from anyone I’ve taught with that also did the traditional teacher track.
I have learned some important things considering my credential is in a different major from my BA, but I’m convinced most of the classes overall are just for helping the universities squeeze more money out of people.
If the fast track teachers are meant to teach, they do great. If they weren’t, they leave in less than 5 years. As long as they don’t leave mid-year. 5 years I’ve helped pick up the messes left by teachers who leave early or other circumstances (illness related)
There are so many things that can happen in a classroom that you cannot be prepared for everything. Basic strategies and support get you through
In my mind, this fast track is a “mixed bag.” It’s been my experience that if a teacher wants to be good, regardless of the degree and time it took to get the degree, they will succeed because they want to do a good job. In the other hand, there are those who fast track, who really don’t want to teach, but became teachers for the summers off and what they believe is an easy schedule. These teachers don’t last a long time as they don’t like children and the job is a lot harder than they thought it would be. That’s the great part of education… it tends to “weed out” those who entered the profession looking for an easy job. As we all know, it is certainly not easy.
I think…
1. One semester of a master’s in teaching or is it any master’s degree? Many, many of us have a bachelor’s and do very well in the classroom, thank you. If they have student taught and have a bachelor’s in education, they should be good to go.
2. Depending on if they lower requirements even more, I think we will see many unqualified teachers in classrooms in states that have teacher shortages. This will result in lower test scores and more criticism of public education. Teachers will get the short end of the stick again.
3. I don’t know how you did it, but I would wager that almost all of us had to do a lot of learning on the fly. And I believe that if you’re not continuing to learn on the fly, you’re falling behind.
So, them’s my thoughts on this late evening!
In places with a high cost of living and low pay like Hawaii, they’ve been dealing with teacher shortages by hiring through Teachers for America (TFA) which gets anyone with a BS/BA and into the classroom after a five week training. They’re also even starting to outsource from other countries now. This seems really ridiculous that they’re making well-meaning people who really want to be teachers as a career jump through so many hoops and get all the credentials and take so many classes. It’s no wonder there are shortages.
I think it’s ridiculous
Why, exactly?