Certified Teachers in Charters?  Absolutely!

What's up with teacher certification in charter schools?  Well, the fact is the numbers are on the increase and probably are so high they exceed traditional public schools - if a true, accurate figure for traditionals were available, MAPSA President Dan Quisenberry said.

Here are some facts and reactions related to a recent report issued by the Michigan Department of Education regarding teacher certification:

• Four charters were listed in the state report as having 0% of their teachers certified.  The true figure is 100% in each case.
  
  
• Many charters have adopted policies that all teachers and new hires must be fully certified.  It's an absolute requirement for teachers working in National Heritage Academies schools, for example, where even para-professionals must have at least an associate's degree and/or pass a national test showing them to be highly qualified. 
  
  
• Some charters are vocational in nature and the best possible teachers for their students fall outside traditional certification.  Said one charter leader, "I have a cosmetology instructor and a medical technology instructor.  These folks don't come with standard certifications, and I can't get an answer about what to do with this."
  
  
• More than half of Michigan's charters serve urban communities; 58% of charter students are economically disadvantaged, compared to a state average of 33%.  History has shown that urban schools struggle to attract and retain certified teachers. 
  
  
• While the department's report listed the state certification rate as 98%, this figure is, by staff's own admission, undocumented.  The state does not know, for example, how many teachers in traditional schools are in classes outside of their certification. University charter authorizers, in contrast, manually verify the certification, background checks and what's being taught by every charter teacher.
  
  
• Fred Borowski, leader of Bradford Academy in Southfield, sent out this message in response to the state's report:   "We have 22 full-time teachers, and all are certified.  We also have seven para-professionals.  All seven meet No Child Left Behind requirements to have a two-year degree.  Six of the seven are working on their master's degrees."
  
  
• Plymouth Educational Center Charter School in Detroit has a 95 percent fully certified rate among its 40 staff members, said Chief Academic Officer Jessie Kilgore.
  

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