ctcwatch Mailing List: [Fwd: Fwd: SB 1643 is Amended! (CTC Watch)]

[Tsai-Tsai O-Lee (tolee]

   CTC WATCH____________________
              Your source for current events impacting the Commission on Teacher Credentialing......

Authored & Published by:
Bruce Kitchen, CCTC/School District Liaison
San Bernardino & San Diego Counties

GOOD TRY!

BUT..Bad law is still bad law!  It happened yesterday (June 17).  Senate Bill 1643, which seeks to circumvent the Commission on Teacher Credentialing and allow County Offices of Education to issue teaching credentials based upon the "eminence" of an individual, sailed through the Senate Education & Appropriations Committees and on to the Assembly where it was facing a growing awareness of major shortcomings.  Most visible was a complete lack of moral and criminal background investigative authority.  Yesterday's added language attempts to address that problem this way:

"Applicants for an eminence teaching credential issued pursuant to this section shall comply with the requirements set forth in Sections 44339,44340,44341,44345, 44346, and 44346.1, including, but not limited to, successfully completing a moral character review conducted by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing, and holding a valid certificate of clearance issued by the commission while employed by a school district under this section."

NOTE:  All of those Education Code sections apply to the Commission on Teacher Credentialing. 

You have to wonder...why circumvent the CTC and allow 58 counties to issue "eminence teaching credentials" (which will not be NCLB compliant) when it will be required for the Commission to do all the work?