Superintendent's Talks About Looser Teacher Licensing

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(UNDATED) - State School Superintendent Tony Bennett says his push to loosen teacher licensing requirements should be part of a broader strategy to use supply and demand to improve schools.

Bennett used a meeting of the state's education roundtable to underline his call for better teachers, bringing in the CEO of the new teacher project, a New York nonprofit which has recruited people to teach in 39 urban school districts, including the Indianapolis Public Schools.

Ariela Rozman says ending teacher shortages is a first step to better performance.

Bennett says instead of assuming people will pick teaching careers and stay for life, schools could consider front-loading pay for beginning teachers to lure more people in, while also instituting closer evaluations for those rookie teachers to make sure they're qualified.

The professional standards board is scheduled to discuss Bennett's call to license teachers based on non-school experience at its November 18 meeting.

Bennett says he expects the board to make some changes to the details of the plan, but says he hopes for final approval before year's end.

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