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Tougher standards may worsen science-teacher shortage
Orlando Sentinel ^ | July 28, 2012 | Leslie Postal

Posted on 07/29/2012 2:05:32 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife

Looking to boost the quality of science education, Florida has just made it tougher for aspiring teachers to pass required certification exams.

But the move to ensure that would-be science teachers know their subjects well could worsen Florida's shortage of science teachers. That could leave middle and high schools scrambling even more to find instructors for biology, chemistry, Earth-space science, general science and physics classes.

.... The State Board of Education this month bumped up the scores needed to pass the teacher-certification exams in those five science fields. As a result, the passing rates for first-time exam takers are expected to drop sharply.

The passing rate for the biology-teacher certification exam, for example, is predicted to fall from 87 percent to 68 percent, the Florida Department of Education said. The rate for the middle-school general-science exam is projected to fall from 78 percent to 58 percent.

"Of course, we applaud anything that increases rigor," said Sherry Southerland, a science-education professor at Florida State University and co-director of FSU-Teach, a program that aims to train more math and science teachers.

But middle- and high-school science teachers are always on Florida's list of "critical teacher-shortage areas," meaning there aren't enough of them to fill all the open jobs.

Tougher certification exams "will only exacerbate the problem," Southerland said.....

....State test data make it clear Florida teacher-preparation programs train relatively few new science teachers. Last year, 611 people took the biology-certification exam, for example, compared with more than 1,600 who took the exam to teach middle- or high-school social-studies classes.

(Excerpt) Read more at articles.orlandosentinel.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; Extended News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: arth; education; fl; science; scienceeducation; teachers
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1 posted on 07/29/2012 2:05:43 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

The problem is this: the schools are not turning out properly educated scientists.

We need new teachers, not greater pay for the incompetent ones.


2 posted on 07/29/2012 2:22:28 AM PDT by Loud Mime (Defeat Obama. Everything else is secondary)
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To: Loud Mime

Schools of Education...... teach teaching not subject matter.


3 posted on 07/29/2012 2:34:31 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: Loud Mime

With lax standards K-12, everyone assume their college material.

Higher education is somewhat of an oxymoron now.


4 posted on 07/29/2012 2:37:22 AM PDT by Puckster
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
Schools of Education...... teach teaching not subject matter.

That is indeed one of the major problems with our system for educating prospective educators.

Apparently, the author of this article would rather have incompetent science teachers than to try to solve this problem.

Somehow, the school systems need to get people with scientific training to be science teachers. They should, of course, try to get teachers who show some aptitude for teaching. But passing a bunch of education courses does not qualify someone to teach science. If I have to choose between a science teacher who doesn't know science and a science teacher who doesn't know teaching, I will choose the latter. But my preference would be someone who knows science and has a gift for teaching, whether or not the person has taken any courses on education.

5 posted on 07/29/2012 2:45:54 AM PDT by Rocky (Obama is pure evil.)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

They first must submit to global warming and then your in


6 posted on 07/29/2012 2:54:44 AM PDT by ronnie raygun (bb)
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To: Loud Mime

They’re so busy turning out teachers that they aren’t turning out scientists.

I like what Hillsdale college has done. They’ll teach the major in the field of your choice but they won’t offer the teaching degree. Instead they have a deal with Spring Arbor college 30 miles north to finish the teaching degree.


7 posted on 07/29/2012 3:03:23 AM PDT by cripplecreek (What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses his soul?)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

I’ll bet your average retired engineer could teach science better than your average science teacher. They ought to figure out a way to bring those guys in.


8 posted on 07/29/2012 3:08:20 AM PDT by Yardstick
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To: Yardstick

That was the Duncan Hunter plan of 08. We have a growing pool of retired astronauts who specialized in various science disciplines and they would make great professors.


9 posted on 07/29/2012 3:18:41 AM PDT by cripplecreek (What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses his soul?)
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To: Yardstick; All
I’ll bet your average retired engineer could teach science better than your average science teacher. They ought to figure out a way to bring those guys in.

Many go through certification hoops but that's only half the battle, you still have to deal with the left-wing agenda once there (as do a lot of teachers who flee public education). Other aspects are lack of discipline, safety issues and standards that don't advocate excellence but rather cater to (and so achieve) the lowest bar of achievement.

10 posted on 07/29/2012 3:18:55 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

One word to cure:
Vouchers.

One concept to excel:
Free Market principles.

It is long past time to realize that the Government cannot educate.
That ship sailed long ago - and it is piloted by agenda driven politics.


11 posted on 07/29/2012 3:24:24 AM PDT by bill1952 (Choice is an illusion created between those with power - and those without)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

“...ensure that would-be science teachers know their subjects well...”

And the problem with that, is what exactly? Fewer, less-qualified teachers? Good! Let’em work in the orchards or fields instead of illegal aliens.


12 posted on 07/29/2012 3:27:12 AM PDT by Carriage Hill (All libs and most dems think that life is just a sponge bath, with a happy ending.)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

The education establishment is not interested in better science teachers, they are interested in continuing to build up the education bureaucracy and increasing education credentialism.

I am a semi-retired engineer. I have an undergraduate and masters degree. I am technically very well qualified to teach high school science or mathematics. I took the same freshman and sophomore chemistry, physics, and math that the guys in those majors took. There are a lot of people like me. It should be a Summer’s worth of classes getting people like me ready for the classroom.

Instead, because of the credentialism hurdles that the education bureaucracy places in the way, it would probably take two college school years of credits, and more in some states, to get to a public school classroom.

My next door neighbor was a math major, she is fully retired (long career at IBM), has looked into this more deeply than I have, and has come to the same conclusion.


13 posted on 07/29/2012 3:47:51 AM PDT by FreedomPoster (Islam delenda est)
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To: Yardstick

See my previous post. It isn’t happening.


14 posted on 07/29/2012 3:49:35 AM PDT by FreedomPoster (Islam delenda est)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
Shouldn't Darwinism be producing better science teachers?
15 posted on 07/29/2012 4:03:53 AM PDT by Berlin_Freeper (Siri: USA - ALL THE WAY!)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

my hunch is if you are black or spanish speaking,
those pesky test scores have no relevance to getting hired


16 posted on 07/29/2012 4:08:57 AM PDT by silverleaf (Every human spent about half an hour as a single cell)
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To: Yardstick

...”I’ll bet your average retired engineer could teach science better than your average science teacher. They ought to figure out a way to bring those guys in”...

You are exactly correct..Some of the best “would be” teachers out here are those who know the skills from knowledge and experience..Our society, for the most part, does not understand how to transmit knowledge to the next generation. Teacher’s Unions have destroyed that.


17 posted on 07/29/2012 4:17:08 AM PDT by jazzlite (esat)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife; Yardstick

Agree. An experienced engineer is going to start off, like any new teacher, with the worst kids, the feral ones. For these kids, their teachers are well paid babysitters.

As this article implies, few men are willing to put up with the worst of the democrat welfare state.


18 posted on 07/29/2012 4:19:50 AM PDT by Jacquerie (I want my America back.)
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To: FreedomPoster
Instead, because of the credentialism hurdles that the education bureaucracy places in the way, it would probably take two college school years of credits, and more in some states, to get to a public school classroom. My next door neighbor was a math major, she is fully retired (long career at IBM), has looked into this more deeply than I have, and has come to the same conclusion.

In New York State they offer alternative certification/ Vocational certification.

You would need to take five classes and student teach for 2 weeks. You can do this is you have 5 or more years of verifiable experience. If you already have a Masters degree you would automatically receive permanent certification.

19 posted on 07/29/2012 4:37:59 AM PDT by verga (Every single cult leader has believed in Home schooling, think about it.)
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To: verga

I am amazed at that. Seriously, good for NY, though I would NOT be willing to move there!


20 posted on 07/29/2012 4:43:44 AM PDT by FreedomPoster (Islam delenda est)
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