Qualifications for Teachers
* Re “Study Calls Poor Teacher Training a ‘National Shame,’ ” Sept. 13: The fact that qualified teachers are in short supply in California and the odds of a student having a mathematics or science teacher who is licensed in that field are less than 50-50 is unfortunately attributable, at least in part, to hiring quotas based on ethnicity.
I was motivated to become a math teacher because similar articles in the past led me to believe I could make a valuable contribution. However, despite my being a fully credentialed math teacher with good references, degrees from both UCLA and Pepperdine, and a year’s teaching experience in Ventura County, I have been unable to obtain a position in the Los Angeles Unified School District. To my surprise and dismay, I have been expressly told by multiple schools that although they needed a math teacher, the position wasn’t open to me because I am not a minority.
AMY SIMPKIN
Chatsworth
* Your Sept. 16 editorial, “A Big Fat ‘F’ for Lots of Teachers,” underlines the need for more comprehensive teacher preparation.
I agree, and so does Assemblyman Fred Aguiar (R-Chino). This year, Aguiar introduced a bill, AB 2432, on behalf of United Teachers of Los Angeles. Gov. Pete Wilson vetoed this bill.
The bill would have allowed students in their junior year of college to begin to develop their skills in establishing a career as teachers. Under current law, an educational career only begins to take place after graduation from a college or university. UTLA believes, along with The Times, that the best teachers are those who are better prepared before they enter a classroom to teach.
I would point out that implementation of the bill was voluntary on the part of a school district so the cost would have been minimal. Nowhere in this bill was there any mention of collective bargaining, but only collaboration with teachers--a laudable goal.
UTLA will continue to offer legislation to increase the level of professionalism for our public school teaching force.
DAY HIGUCHI
UTLA President
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