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Last updated on Thursday, April 1, 2010
(UNDATED) - The change resulting from a shift in state requirements for would-be teachers may not be as dramatic as advertised.
The next wave of middle and high school teachers will have to have the equivalent of a major in the subject they plan to teach, not just an education degree.
But IU School of Education Dean Gerardo Gonzalez his school and most others already require that many subject-area credits or more. Gonzalez says the more significant change is one allowing teachers to get a degree only in their subject, with an education minor. Universities will determine a core set of education classes needed under that plan.
Gonzalez echoes Governor Daniels and state School Superintendent Tony Bennett in declaring the change creates more flexibility in licensing and puts more emphasis on teacher quality. Universities successfully lobbied to weaken language which could have done away with secondary-education degrees.
The new rules take effect with this fall's freshman class in the state's schools of education. The rules cover teachers for grades 5 through 12.
Daniels says the state will track student scores under teachers who have taken different licensing paths.
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