Albert Einstein said, "It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge." If Einstein were still alive, perhaps he would amend his statement to parallel the educational jargon found in today's society. He would certainly have to modify the word "teacher" with the catch-phrase "highly-qualified" to demonstrate his acumen of state and federal regulations.
"It is the supreme art of the highly qualified teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge," he might say.
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Teachers like University Middle Band Instructor Tim Bradberry enjoy learning with their students.
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Either way Waco ISD is awakening the joy of learning in students, thanks to the 1,115 "highly qualified" teachers who measure their own success by the stores of knowledge they imbue in "our" children.
What is notable is that 100 percent of Waco ISD teachers are deemed "highly qualified" by federal and state guidelines. This information was presented to the Waco ISD Board of Trustees in a report dated November 15, 2007. The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 basically states that any teacher hired after the first day of the 2002-2003 school year to teach in a public school receiving federal funds must be "highly qualified." Additionally, as of the 2005-2006 school year, public schools must ensure that all teachers in the core academic subjects are "highly qualified."
The catch-phrase "highly qualified" is clearly defined under NCLB Title IX, Section 9101, with respect to public elementary or secondary schools. In a nutshell and at a minimum, teachers must hold full state certification, hold a license to teach in the state and hold a bachelor's degree. By law, there are multiple objective measures of teacher competency which is a technical way of assuring parents of public school children that their teachers are highly trained.
No doubt, Waco ISD is proud to have all 1,115 (and no less than 100 percent) of its teachers deemed "highly qualified." But what exactly is "highly qualified?" Is it a technical definition prepared by the government? Or is it the untold hours of work long after the school bell has rung and students have gone home? Does "highly qualified" automatically imply "highly creative" or "highly motivated" as it should?
Meeting the district, state and federal requirements of teaching a variety of students in a fast changing world is demanding, but teachers in Waco work hard to design lesson plans with quality, accuracy and rigor so that students will retain information.
The proof is in the accolades like National Board and Texas Ready certifications. The proof is in teachers who encourage students to consider college and then find a way to make that happen. The proof is in teachers who allow students to pretend to be astronauts during middle school, and in teachers who help students become astronauts in real life.
With proof like that, who needs a modifier?
