Gov. John Kasich today signed a bill that will bring Teach for America to Ohio, a program that Ohio University’s education dean strongly opposes.
During his State of the State address in March, Kasich vowed to bring the program to Ohio so that “smart and motivated college graduates” interested in Teach for America do not have to leave the state to join.
House Bill 21 allows Ohio’s Board of Education to issue resident educator licenses to those enrolled in Teach for America, a non-profit organization that trains recent college graduates to teach for two years in low-income schools.
Renée Middleton, dean of OU’s Patton College of Education and Human Services, testified before Ohio’s House of Representatives in February to voice her opposition to the bill. Middleton said she is concerned with the lack of “necessary training and experience” provided by Teach for America.
Those who are selected for the program undergo a five-to-six week training period and are then issued “resident educator licenses” so they can teach. Participants in the program are not required to have degrees in education.
“What the governor is signing is providing them with a fully certified license to teach without having the training,” Middleton said in an email. “… The state of Ohio doesn’t do this for any of the other alternative pathways to licensure…why this one?”
Kasich, however, praised the bill and called Teach for America a “very effective program” in a previous news release.
“These are very dedicated people (in the program). Some of the best and brightest that we have who want to dedicate their lives to improve the lives of our students,” Kasich said during today’s bill signing. “… The message to all those students out there, that when you wake up in the morning and got a sense that you have a purpose to change the lives of young people: We’re inviting you into Ohio.”
Currently, 31 states, plus Washington D.C., have the Teach for America program, according to a news release from the governor’s office.
Last year, Teach for America placed 4,500 graduates out of the 46,000 who applied, according to the organization’s website. Applicants are required to have at least a 2.5 GPA, and the average GPA of participants is 3.6.
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