This article was originally published in The Notebook. In August 2020, The Notebook became Chalkbeat Philadelphia.
Gov. Rendell is asking the legislature to approve a program to fast-track science, engineering, technology, and math professionals into teaching jobs. The governor would create a separate certification status called "residency," in which qualified persons are able to teach while taking courses in education strategies to earn full certification.
While the governor is emphasizing the so-called STEM subjects, the proposal would give the Secretary of Education the authority to create a "residency" certification for any field he deems has shortages.
Actually, data presented to the State Board of Education recently by Carnegie Mellon economist Robert P. Strauss, shows that even in the science/math fields, there has been an excess of graduates from state certification programs compared to people who get hired to teach. More to come on that later.
Read the governor’s full press release here. Read about the Philadelphia Teacher Residency program, which begins this year, in our Summer edition.