Commissioner Edelblut’s new rule proposal means anyone with a background check and lesson plan can grant graduation credits
On December 13, Governor Sununu’s hand-picked Commissioner of Education announced a new rule change designed to allow anyone to grant credit towards high school graduation.
If this rule is allowed to stand, it would now be possible for a student to receive a diploma from a New Hampshire public high school they never attended from credits they earned on assessments by non-certified teachers. This diploma would carry the same weight and value as one earned by a student who attended school every day taught by certified teachers in credentialed schools.
Anyone who understands education knows this is wrong for kids.
To become an “educator” in the Commissioner’s new scheme, all you need is a background check and a lesson plan. With that, you can grant credits towards a diploma. In a public school, you need a bachelor’s degree, years of student teaching experience, passing grades on certification exams, and 5 years of probationary teaching in a New Hampshire school. Then you need 75 hours of professional development every three years and you must be teaching in an accredited high school.
“The Commissioner said that credentialed educators are not needed for successful student outcomes, and that all students really need is someone who will engage them in learning. Everyone else knows that a well-qualified educator in every classroom is one of our top educational priorities because of the impact that teacher has on their students,” said Megan Tuttle, NEA-New Hampshire President.
“We know from experience with kids for more than 150 years, that every child learns differently. We have championed for years the use of extended learning opportunities that take advantage of a child’s natural curiosity and talents that may occur outside of a classroom. These experiences are overseen and reviewed by a credentialed educator. We believe these programs should be supported and expanded,” continued Tuttle.
“With this new program, the complete lack of understanding and respect the Governor and Commissioner have for teachers is on full display. And this disdain will have a negative impact on our children for years to come,” concluded Tuttle.