California Teacher Corps Teachers Ranked Highly by Principals

Principals report that teachers from alternative route to certification programs are as good or better than other beginning teachers; teachers meeting district and school improvement needs

SACRAMENTO, Calif., Nov. 3, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The California Teacher Corps, the statewide organization representing California's more than 70 alternative route to certification programs, today announced that nearly 90 percent of school principals across California ranked teachers placed from its programs as good or better than other beginning teachers, according to 2010-11 survey data compiled by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CCTC).

Hiring school districts believed that teachers from alternative route to certification programs were as good or better in planning and implementing instruction (91.1%), classroom management (90.1%), and providing effective teaching strategies (90.1%). 

"Our teachers are an invaluable asset to California's public schools, serving the state's most underserved communities," said Catherine Kearney, founding president of the California Teacher Corps. "Principals are reaffirming what we already know - that teachers placed from alternative certification programs are the best and most talented for the job. Our programs are once again proving to be an excellent pathway into teaching, placing teachers who are not only the best match for the communities they are serving, but who are also hitting the mark at their schools. We remain committed to providing the school districts we serve with the most highly-qualified and skilled teachers."

The survey also found that nearly 84 percent of hiring school districts believe that alternative route to certification programs help to meet their district and school improvement goals, while 85 percent believe that these programs help to meet their need for teachers in critical shortage subject areas.  

The California Teacher Corps was established to meet the future demand for teachers in the state's high-need public schools, as well as the critical shortage of teachers in the math, science and special education fields.  Last year, the Teacher Corps recruited and placed 1,300 math and science teachers, a majority of whom are second-career professionals and industry experts.

Teachers Corps programs recruit and train second-career professionals, and other content experts, to serve in high-need, high-poverty public schools. Teacher Corps programs attract diverse individuals who bring deep content expertise and a wealth of professional experience with them into the classroom. Over the last seven years, Teacher Corps programs have placed 55,000 highly-qualified teachers in California public schools.

"We know that the greatest driver of student achievement is a highly-qualified, committed teacher," said James Hay, director of Human Resources, Delano Joint Union High School. "California Teacher Corps programs provide a pipeline of effective teachers for our classrooms who deliver solutions for student, school and district goals. We hire from Teacher Corps programs because we know that the right teacher makes all the difference. California's alternative certification programs are an important partner in ensuring we have the right teachers in our classrooms."

The survey is conducted annually by the CCTC for the purposes of program improvement. The survey reports the findings of principals at close to 500 schools across California in the spring of 2010. This data reflects the performance of more than 4,000 teachers placed from the California Teacher Corps' alternative certification programs during last year.

About the California Teacher Corps
The California Teacher Corps is a nonprofit organization established in 2009 with the goal of placing 100,000 highly-qualified teachers in California's communities by 2020. The Teacher Corps provides a unified voice for the state's alternative certification programs, proactively addresses teacher preparation issues facing California and recruits the best and the brightest professionals to teach in the public schools that need them most.  Teacher Corps membership trains second-career professionals, and others committed to working in hard-to-staff schools, who have deep subject-area expertise and who remain in the teaching profession.  For more information, visit the California Teacher Corps at www.cateachercorps.org.

SOURCE California Teacher Corps.