Washington, D.C.

May 25, 2007 - According to the Washington Post, 300 Washington, DC teachers have been notified that they will be fired next month. The reason? They aren't certified.

Last year, the school superintendent reported that about one-fourth of the teachers in the school system -- or about 1,100 -- were not certified. The reasons varied:

They lacked a valid D.C. teaching license
They had a provisional license that had expired.
They failed to pass the licensing exam.
They needed more college credit hours in the subject they were teaching.

In August, they reported that they filled more than half of the teacher vacancies by rehiring 470 uncertified teachers who needed a year to complete their requirements.

"If you're not certified in five years, under the No Child Left Behind law, we have no choice," White said. "If you don't have it by June 30, you will be terminated."
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TT - In other words, the teachers couldn't pass the district credentialing requirements. Their students had similar difficulties.

In 8th grade reading, 55% of Washington, DC students score below Basic.
For blacks, it's 58% who score below basic.
Only 11% are considered proficient - reading at grade level.
For blacks, it's 8% reading at grade level.

District of Columbia Average Spending Per Pupil = $12,801
(National avg = $8,287)
National rank in spending - 3rd

Teacher Pay: District of Columbia ranks 1st in the nation.
District of Columbia National Beginning Teacher Salary DC $38,566
National Avg. $31,704

District of Columbia Average Teacher Salary $62,909
National Avg. $46,597

Source: Alliance for Excellence in Education, Feb 2007 LINK
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