Proposal lowers threshold to become an Ohio teacher

(WJW) – More people may soon be able to become teachers in Ohio as new legislation would lower the requirements needed for the job.

Supporters of the proposal said education should be the top priority . But ever since the pandemic, there has been a shortage of teachers in Ohio.

“The excessive paperwork, the disrespect, the lower pay, the parent and student concerns,” Karen Rego, the Teachers Union President in Cleveland Heights, said were just some of the many reasons for the vacancies.

Legislators are trying to develop new ways to fill those jobs, which includes Senate Bill 168 , which is currently in a House of Representatives committee.

The bill would allow anyone with a master’s degree to teach, not just those with a master’s degree in education. It would also eliminate seniority as a protection when districts need to reduce staffing and it would also allow unlicensed teachers in classrooms.

Senator Jerry Cirino of Cleveland is a co-sponsor of the bill.

“If you have got somebody with a bachelor’s degree and has other experiences that would qualify them, even if they are not licensed, they would have an opportunity down the road to get the equivalency or actual licensing done,” said Cirino. “They would be able to step in and begin teaching if they have the subject matter expertise.”

“It’s important that we maintain the quality of professionalism that we have in the schools and lowering the standards is not going to improve the teaching situations,” said Rego.

Rego said there are a lot of jobs they can’t fill, including intervention specialists and counselors.

The bill has already passed the Senate.

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