THE ISSUE: A new law was enacted in July to decrease the number of teachers in charter schools that are required to hold teaching licenses. Some see the benefit of this policy as keeping teachers in North Carolina while others argue that it lowers teacher quality. Two editorial board members share their sides. View the other side of the issue.
This legislation will potentially benefit both public and charter schools in North Carolina.
It will bring in competition in the form of subject matter experts who may have been discouraged from pursuing this career path because of the time and money required to obtain a teaching license.
Much of the opposition to this law stems from the idea that a licensed teacher is a good teacher, which is not always the case.
In fact, Teach for America demonstrates that teachers without licenses can flourish in both public and charter schools by embodying the essential characteristics that an educator should possess above any form of state licensure.
A UNC study found that after just six weeks of training, teachers working through TFA outperform traditionally licensed teachers with four years of teaching education.
North Carolina has lost its reputation as a state that values education, and the best way to solve this problem lies in the innovative nature of charter schools.
Allowing charter schools to hire fewer teachers with formal licenses will broaden the pool of applicants, therefore increasing competition among teachers, attracting more qualified applicants and emphasizing the importance of teachers that can educate students.
