Dear Parent/Guardian:
The Elementary and Secondary
Education Act is our country’s most important Federal education law.
Last year this law was revised and is now called, The No Child Left
Behind Act. No Child Left Behind (NCLB) was designed to make
changes in teaching and learning that will help our students achieve
more in school.
The law requires that all schools
receiving federal funds must inform parents of their rights to ask
schools about the qualifications of their child’s teachers. Our school
receives federal funding and we are happy to share this information
with you.
We believe that nothing is more
important to your child’s education at school than having a
well-prepared and highly qualified teacher. The law requires that all
teachers must meet a specific, legal definition of "highly qualified"
in order to teach in schools that receive federal funding. The legal
definition of a "highly qualified teacher" has three parts. It states
that the teacher must have:
1. A four-year college
degree;
2. A regular teaching
certificate/license; and
3. Proof of their
knowledge in the subject they teach.
New Jersey has some of the most
qualified teachers in the country and we are extremely proud of the
quality of the teaching staff in the Fair Lawn School District. All of
our regular teachers have college degrees and many have advanced
degrees. The State of New Jersey has always required a teaching
certificate/license for all teachers. In addition, every teacher
continues his or her own learning through professional development
activities and our teachers are evaluated each year to make sure that
their teaching skills remain at the highest possible level.
Most teachers already meet this
legal definition of "highly qualified." All teachers hired after the
beginning of the 2002-03 school year were required to meet this
definition. However, one challenge New Jersey teachers face is that
the State does not yet have a test of subject knowledge for the middle
grades. This means it is impossible for middle school teachers, or
those teaching a specific subject in elementary school, to fully
satisfy the legal definition of a "highly qualified teacher" until new
test become available. These tests are expected to be available early
in 2004. Veteran teachers, hired before the 2002-2003 school year, who
do not yet meet the legal definition of "highly qualified" will have
until the end of the 2005-2006 school year to do so.
To ensure that every child in
every classroom has a highly qualified teacher, the State of New
Jersey and our school district are working together to help teachers
meet the requirements of the federal law by providing several options.
Teachers will soon be able to take a new test, or they can demonstrate
their expertise through a combination of college coursework,
professional development activities and experience.
A highly qualified teacher knows
what to teach, how to teach and has a full understanding of the
subject matter being taught. We believe that every teacher in our
school is fully qualified and dedicated to teaching your child and we
will do everything possible to help our teachers who may not yet meet
the legal definition required by the federal government.
