[NLA] David's model and teacher certification

[DoughtyHRC@aol.com]

I want to share you to a concern that I believe will severely impact the 
successful operation of community-based adult literacy programs in the state. 
  The Texas Education Agency Adult Education Division has determined that 
non-degreed staff may not teach in adult education classes.  This implies 
that degreed staff perform better than non-degreed staff and that non-degreed 
staff perform poorly.

Where is the evidence-based research that has been undertaken to show that 
degreed staff out-perform staff with years of experience and intense focused 
staff development.  As far as I can tell there is no evidence of any.
 
The Workforce Investment Act that flows the Adult Education federal funds to 
Texas allows the state to issue waivers so that well-qualified but 
non-degreed staff performing successfully may teach adult education classes.  
 This allows programs, especially community-based programs, to stretch adult 
education dollars further and serve more clients.   Waivers have been 
permitted in the past but the state adult education director will not now 
permit their use.   If there are no waivers the following will take place:

· Many excellent instructors may be lost
· degreed staff paid $14 - $20 an hour will replace some current staff paid 
at $8 - $14 an hour
· fewer staff will be hired 
· fewer learners will be served
· with 75% of current learners in many programs enrolled in ESL classes this 
will impact the Hispanic population most severely

CBO's support the use of qualified, non-degreed staff and support continual 
improvement and staff development.   The CBO's across the state with whom I 
have worked engage in targeted staff development to enable instructors to 
meet learner goals as quickly and efficiently as possible.   What would make 
sense in terms of program improvement for literacy providers is not to 
indiscriminately cut non-degreed staff, but to:

1. provide a credit system where staff development could lead incrementally 
to a degree in the literacy field;
2. research teaching improvements made by such training before cutting 
teachers who are clearly doing a good job in a very staff-challenged field. 

(It makes no sense to hire a person with a geology degree over a seasoned ESL 
teacher, who shows great competence in teaching English to immigrants, 
reflects the background of the learners and consistently moves students to 
the next level.)

In a time of budget cuts cost effectiveness must play a part in 
decision-making. CBO's struggle to raise funds, especially in times when 
dollars are scarce.  To hire better 'paper qualified' staff at the expense of 
'experience qualified' staff is costly.   It is a mistake to think that 
paying less for staffing implies a less able staff.   It signifies that the 
experience, passion and dedication that adult literacy instructors bring to 
their work has little value in the eyes of the state adult education system.

The Workforce Investment Act is to be reauthorized next.   Already review is 
underway for improvement in the law.   The Texas Education Agency should be 
prevented from removing the waiver until:

1. The agency has undertaken research to show whether degreed staff 
out-perform non-degreed staff and whether non-degreed staff perform 
adequately.
2. The WIA reauthorization activities have been completed so that changes 
will be made with a thorough grasp of all the implications under the new 
federal legislation.

This current action from TEA will deny services to thousands of learners at a 
time when the state is trying to increase enrollment and provide the 
framework for decision making based on research. 

At this moment teachers have been alerted that they may not have a job whent 
he new fiscal year begins next month.

Margaret Doughty

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