KATESOL/BE Response to TESOL Draft Statement on Highly Qualified Teachers
John Segota
Advocacy and Communications Manager
Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages, Inc.
700 S. Washington Street, Suite 200
Alexandria, VA 2214-4287
December 12, 2004
Dear John,
I have shared with the members of the Kansas Association of
Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (KATESOL/BE)
the "Draft Position Statement on Highly Qualified Teachers Under
No Child Left Behind" which you sent to affiliate leaders via e-mail
on December 7th.
Our affiliate strongly endorses the statement you sent. "I totally
agree with and support TESOL's draft statement about highly
qualified teachers," responded KATESOL member Sandy Bible,
an ESOL teacher in USD 512, Shawnee Mission School District.
"I think that is a very good idea that TESOL has regarding inclusion
of bilingual/ESL educators in the NCLB document," said Mary
Grace Webdell, Bilingual/ESOL Resource Teacher in the Office
of Supplemental Programs serving USD 457, Garden City Public
Schools.
Those two representative comments, from eastern and western
Kansas, reflect the sentiments of KATESOL/BE on this matter.
In our state, ESOL is an additional P-12 endorsement added to a
Kansas teaching license. As your draft statement so eloquently
expresses, the ESOL endorsement coursework is quite rigorous.
In addition to being recommended for the endorsement by one
of the state's approved programs, a candidate now must also
pass an ETS Praxis II content test in ESOL. It is unconscionable
that the definition of "highly qualified" under No Child Left Behind
does not address the important role of ESOL-endorsed teachers.
There are two other related concerns we have in Kansas. First,
KATESOL is working in concert with other teacher organizations
across the state to present a proposal to the Kansas State
Department of Education that an ESOL strategies/methods
course be added to the required coursework for the Kansas
teaching license, so that licensure candidates are better
equipped to work effectively with growing numbers of English
language learners in the state's public school system. This
effort is similar to what was done more than 20 years ago
in Kansas to incorporate special education coursework
into the core curriculum for all teaching licenses,
elementary and secondary school.
It is also of great concern to many members of KATESOL/BE
that the role of bilingual interpreters and paraeducators
in our public schools--and the importance of their ability
to help in communication with parents as well as English
language learners--is undervalued in NCLB's definition of
"highly qualified." Many of these individuals are extremely
effective teaching assistants with culturally and linguistically
diverse children, but cannot afford the time and schooling
mandated by the new federal law.
Some KATESOL members have even gone so far as
to propose a national education policy ensuring that
all children become bilingual, and that teacher licensure
ought to require bilingualism or multilingualism of all
prospective educators.
In light of all these views within our affiliate, it
is my honor, privilege, and duty to communicate to you
that Kansas TESOL wholeheartedly supports TESOL's
"Draft Position Statement on Highly Qualified Teachers Under
No Child Left Behind." Please let us know anything we can
do to help in this effort.
Sincerely,
Robert Bruce Scott
President, Kansas TESOL
785-628-5568 / jayhawk76@yahoo.com
Thank you to Governor Kathleen Sebelius for her welcome letter!
(Click here to view the letter)
Thanks to Education Matters for Announcing KATESOL/BE 2005!
(KSDE's Technology Assistance for Kansas Educators, at www.taken.org)
Thanks to the Jones Institute for Excellence in Education
(For Strong Support and Conference Planning at Emporia State University)
Thanks to the University of Oklahoma's Region VII Comprehensive Center
(For linking to KATESOL/BE 2005 from their "Help for Schools" page)
Muchas gracias a la Asociación Costarricense de Profesores de Inglés
(Por haber incluido información acerca de KATESOL/BE 2005 en sus paginas)
Thank you to ABAX America LLC
(For including KATESOL/BE 2005 in your upcoming events!)
MIDTESOL Annual Conference was October 22-23, 2004
Read the story about the Diversity Institute from the Garden City Telegram!
Report from June Migrant Ed Conference in Wichita
Report from March KATESOL/BE Conference in Hays
Message from the President of KATESOL/BE
This page was last updated on 12/13/2004.
Click for information about KATESOL/BE 2005!