This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Last week, Sen. Ann Millner of Ogden introduced Senate Bill 78, which requires teachers to take an additional skills test before their initial licensure and requires those receiving an alternative license to take the test within their first three years of teaching. While this bill may have good intentions, it also has unintended consequences for teachers by adding cost, hassle and building distrust for the profession without improving student outcomes.
I recently graduated from Utah State University with an education degree and am very familiar with the licensing requirements already in place. I am against this bill because teachers are already required to pass at least two Praxis tests before they begin teaching. The Praxis is a national test that every teacher is required to pass for the subjects they teach. Teachers are also required to pass a second Praxis on teaching practices and theory.
The proposed bill would create a test that measures lesson planning and classroom management skills such as lesson planning and classroom management, which are already tested in the Praxis. This bill adds extra cost and hassle to a profession that is underpaid, underappreciated and understaffed. Teachers do not need more costly tests to prove themselves. They need the support of the state and parents to assist in a difficult job.
In addition to taking the Praxis tests, teachers are required to student teach for three to four months, which is essentially a very long skills test. While student teaching, teachers are required to make lesson plans, teach and manage classrooms under the supervision of an assigned teacher and university supervisors. Cooperating teachers and university supervisors formally evaluate student teachers on a regular basis and provide advice on lesson planning and classroom management. The skills this bill is looking to test are already being tested through the Praxis and student teaching and is an unnecessary requirement.
The additional cost of a skills test is troubling when teachers are already required to take and pay for a number of tests. The new skills test is said to cost $300 per teacher as reported by the Salt Lake Tribune. Teachers are already required to take at least two Praxis tests at another (approximately $300 combined, price varies based on subject) pay a licensing fee ($75), get a background check ($75) and be fingerprinted ($20). With the addition of the new skills test it will cost $770 dollars to meet the requirements to teach, not to mention the hundreds of dollars that teachers usually put into their classrooms. Teachers could easily spend $1,000 dollars or more just to meet the requirements to start teaching for the reward of a $30,000 salary. It's not a mystery why people are not choosing to become teachers or remain in the profession.
The hassle and the cost are important factors, but this bill also speaks to another issue within the profession: trust. The state and public do not trust teachers and continually create extra tests and requirements to improve teaching, but these additional requirements are not going to improve outcomes. Things that will improve teaching are additional preparation time for teachers, smaller class sizes, money for additional classroom resources and an increase in the value we place on education and the profession through a higher salary.
This bill will not improve teaching skills or student outcomes, it will only place an additional burden on an already struggling profession.
Kelli Morrill is pursuing a masters degree in history at Utah State University. Upon graduation she plans to begin her teaching career.