FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Lubbers: Bill will bring highly qualified professionals
into the classroom and fill shortage areas
STATEHOUSE – Indiana’s need for qualified teachers, especially in shortage areas, will be addressed under legislation authored by Sen. Teresa Lubbers (R-Indianapolis). Senate Bill 22 passed the Senate and has been sent to Gov. Daniels for his consideration.
According to Lubbers, SB 22 requires the Indiana Department of Education to grant an initial practitioner’s license for specific subject areas to applicants with postgraduate degrees in those subjects and some teaching experience. The bill would allow middle schools and high schools to hire qualified individuals with the understanding they must meet certain requirements to renew or obtain a proficient practitioners license.
“Indiana, like most states, is struggling to find qualified educators in crucial subject areas such as math and science,” Lubbers said. “This legislation will help us provide the teachers we need to ensure Hoosier students have highly-trained, professional teachers.”
Lubbers said the federal No Child Left Behind Act requires a highly qualified teacher in every classroom – a task made difficult by the current shortage of competent educators in high-demand fields such as math, science, foreign languages and special education.
John Newport, a physics instructor with Carmel-Clay Schools, said he will not be able to teach next year unless this legislation becomes law.
Newport, who holds a Ph.D. in physics from Purdue University, said educators like him who choose to start teaching later in life currently face “a pretty steep barrier,” even under Indiana’s current “transition to teaching” system, which requires those interested in teaching to attend 18 months of classes that can cost up to $18,000.
“This bill will have a huge impact on the number of educators available at the high school level,” said Newport, who has 20 years of instructional experience at the college level.
Indiana Department of Education statistics show during the 2005-2006 school year 139 emergency permits were issued for math and science teachers throughout the state. When school corporations face a shortage of licensed teachers, emergency permits are issued to those who may have no qualifications to teach the subject matter for which they are hired.
Lubbers represents Senate District 30 which is composed of portions of Hamilton and Marion Counties.
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