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Updated 55 minutes ago
Parents, are you aware that a college student might be teaching your child's algebra class? Here's what the news story “Substitute teacher shortage an ongoing problem for Western Pennsylvania schools” did not tell you.
In July 2016, the Pennsylvania Senate voted in Act 86 to allow a college student who has completed 60 credits in a Pennsylvania teacher education program to be hired as a substitute teacher. That pre-service teacher may work for up to 10 consecutive days in one classroom.
At 60 credits, especially for secondary education certification, college students are barely into their major courses. They are working from a shallow base of content knowledge. They have little or no experience in writing a lesson plan or teaching a lesson. They have little or no experience in classroom management.
Do you want that person teaching your child? Making decisions for your child if there is an incident of violence in the classroom? If there is some crisis within the building?
In addition, pre-service teachers are students themselves. If college students are subbing, are they missing their own classes to do so?
This is a bad idea that was not supported by teacher educators across the state.
Helen Sitler
Ligonier
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