New report on progress in teacher preparation

From State Supt. desk:

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell issued the following statement regarding a new report by the Center for the Future of Teaching and Learning that shows that California has made great progress in reducing the number of underprepared teachers:

            "I am hearted that California is moving in the right direction toward having a well- prepared teacher in every classroom. Good teachers are at the heart of student academic success and are key to closing the achievement gap between our poor and minority students, and their peers who are more affluent or are white or Asian. Teachers who are appropriately credentialed have a deep understanding of the content they teach and have been trained in a variety of instructional strategies and are needed to help California students reach academic proficiency.

            "The California Department of Education is committed to ensuring that well prepared teachers are available for all students, regardless of ethnicity or socioeconomic status, and we developed policies that have helped us get to this point.

            "However, while appropriate teacher preparation is important, we have always known that effectiveness is even more important than credentials. We must now turn our focus to finding ways to increase effectiveness in the classroom and ensure that all students have a truly effective teacher - particularly those traditionally low-performing students who are most in need of an effective teacher."

            For more information on the Center for Teaching and Learning report, please visithttp://www.cftl.org/pressroom_relview.php?release=sept_14_09.php.