HIGHLY QUALIFIED TEACHERS

The Elementary and Secondary Education Act is our country’s most important federal education law.

In 2001 this law was reauthorized and is now called the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB).  NCLB was designed to make changes in teaching and learning that will help increase academic achievement in our schools.  The law requires that parents have a right to ask schools about the qualifications of their child’s teachers.

We are happy to share with you that all our teachers are highly qualified.

We believe that nothing is more important to your child’s education at school than having well-prepared and highly qualified teacher.  The law requires that all teachers who teach in core content areas must meet a specific legal definition of “highly qualified” in order to teach.  The legal definition of a “highly qualified teacher” has three parts.  It states that the teacher must have the following:

1.  A four-year college degree

2.  A regular teaching certificate/license

3.  Proof of his/her knowledge in the subject they teach.

All our 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 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.

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.

For more information on NCLB, and the role of parents, pleas visit the United States Department of Education (USDE) Web site at www.ed.gov/nclb.

If you have any questions on this topic please stop in and ask.