HAVERHILL — School administrators said yesterday they intend to go to work immediately on a state-required report addressing a shortfall in "highly qualified" teachers in the district.
The School Committee learned Thursday night that the district had been cited for being out of compliance with a provision of the federal No Child Left Behind law.
Also yesterday, the head of the Haverhill teachers union said the district has no more of a problem than other districts in Massachusetts when it comes to teacher qualifications.
The federal No Child Left Behind law requires that all teachers must be "highly qualified." Enacted near the beginning of George W. Bush's presidency, the law defines a highly qualified teacher as one who has a bachelor's degree, full state certification or licensure, and proven competence in each subject he or she teaches.
Ninety-one percent of core academic classes in Haverhill are taught by such highly qualified teachers, according to Heidi Guarino, chief of staff of the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
Interim Superintendent James Scully shocked the School Committee Thursday night when he revealed Haverhill has been out of compliance with the law for the past three years. Scully said he became aware of the situation when he received a letter from the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education on Wednesday.
He told the School Committee he thought it was best to publicize the matter.
The state requires that districts without 100 percent highly qualified academic teachers submit an annual improvement plan detailing their strategies for increasing the number of highly qualified teachers, Guarino said. Haverhill's improvement plan was due Monday, according to Guarino.
"Although due on Aug. 16, Haverhill has not yet submitted their 2010 improvement plan. We have sent them notification that they need to do so immediately. (The state) continues to support all districts in understanding and meeting state licensure and federal highly qualified teacher requirements," Guarino said.
Scully told the School Committee he and his staff will compile the improvement plan and send it to the state as soon as possible.
"I want to commend you for bringing this to our attention," School Committee member Joseph Bevilacqua said at Thursday night's meeting.
School Committee member Ray Sierpina, who headed Tilton School before retiring two years ago, said yesterday that Haverhill is actually doing quite well to post a 91 percent compliance rate regarding highly qualified teachers. Typically, there's a hold on hiring in June, so by the time Haverhill is ready to hire teachers, those who have all the credentials to be considered "highly qualified" have taken jobs elsewhere.
If a teacher lacks the credentials to be rated as highly qualified, such as proving competence in a particular subject, he or she is usually granted a one-year waiver, Sierpina said.
Marc Harvey, president of the Haverhill Education Association, which represents the approximately 600 Haverhill teachers, said he is not aware of any Massachusetts community with 100 percent compliance on highly qualified teachers.
State and federal regulations are putting greater demands on teachers, Sierpina said. Besides earning a bachelor's degree and obtaining certification, the teacher must now prove competency in the subject he or she is teaching by taking a test.
To keep their certification, Sierpina added, teachers must take courses periodically. Furthermore, a teacher must earn a master's degree within five years of becoming certified, he said.
When Richard Langlois was personnel director for the School Department, he reported to the state such data as the number of highly qualified teachers, Sierpina said. Langlois left that position two years ago to head the Saugus schools and the School Department did not hire a replacement.
Then-Superintendent Raleigh Buchanan assumed the duties of the personnel director. Buchanan left Haverhill to lead the Hamilton-Wenham Regional School District nearly two months ago and Scully was hired to take his place for a year.
Harvey told The Eagle-Tribune that a few years ago, Haverhill may have had as high as a 95 percent compliance rate on highly qualified teachers. Wealthier communities, with higher teacher salaries, have an advantage in meeting the expectations of No Child Left Behind, he said.
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