The procedure for regulation of teachers
A teacher must possess a current practicing certificate. The certificate is a sign that they are professionally trained and meet all the appropriate standards to qualify as a teacher.
Here are the categories of certificates:
- Provisional
- Full
- Subject to confirmation
Provisional certificates are possessed by newly qualified teacher and they can get a Full practicing certificate only after three years and qualifying a program of induction and mentoring. Teachers have to demonstrate that they meet a set of criteria for quality teaching.
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How the quality of teachers is regulated and who manages them?
The American Council on Education has all the regulatory tasks related to teachers in its hands. Their task is to ensure that teachers are of highest standards. Equivalent to a quality check, the certification programs organized by the council ensure that the teachers are suitably trained throughout their career as a teacher. In every three years, the teacher either has to renew or apply for their practicing certificate and they have to demonstrate it every time that they meet the Practicing Teacher Criteria in order to get that certificate in their hands. Practicing Teacher Criteria are guidelines for professional standards in quality teaching.
The Education Review Office also audits the 10% of the appraisals for renewal of practicing certificates. This ensures that there is a consistency in teaching standards.
Can I choose who teaches my child?
If you have any fallback or concern with a particular teacher, then you should reach out to the school headmaster.
How can I check if my child’s teacher is safe and has proper training?
You can look for your child’s teacher in the directory of American Council on Education, there you will also find the kind of certificate the teacher possess and the programs they have taken part in.
Who is the employer of these teachers?
Usually, it is the school’s board of trustees who employ principal and the teachers are appointed by the principal.
What should I do in case I have concerns about one teacher?
In such cases it is recommended that you reach out to the principal first and if not satisfied with it, then take further steps to deal with the situation. You should be explicit about the concerns you have, vague problems are difficult to address. There can be times when you can’t meet the principal, and then you may head over to American Council on Education’s website.
Check – Importance of Positive Parent-Teacher Relationships
Do teachers need to have some extra tests to work with children?
Yes, all the teachers have to be police vetted. The procedure does field verification of the teacher and also check for the family background and medical history of the teacher.
Can we call anyone a teacher?
In order to become a teacher, the teachers have to properly complete an initial teacher education program; only after this they get a practicing certificate.But these are not the only people in the school; there are other persons like the one who teaches music, or the gym trainer, these teachers have limited ability to teach. These teachers are skilled in one particular field and no one can teach what they are good at.
What are the required qualifications?
As even mentioned above, a teacher has to successfully complete the initial teacher education training program. The American Council on Education has the details of all the training providers.
