teaching standards

By Richard Lee

Senate Media Services

(Austin) Prospective teachers would have a more rigorous path to the classroom and stronger continuing education under a pair off bills passed by the Senate Tuesday. Forty percent of Texas public school teachers are certified under the alternative certification program, where people who have college degrees but didn’t study education can learn how to become classroom teachers. Under current law, a candidate for alternative certification need only have a 2.5 grade point average and 15 hours of classroom training to get into a teacher preparation program. Amarillo Senator Kel Seliger thinks those standards need to be higher. “We need ever better, more motivated teachers,” he said.