The continuing resolution (CR) introduced by the Senate (summary here), which would fund the government through March 4, 2011, includes a definition of “highly qualified teacher†that would make it easier for alternatively certified teachers to become “highly qualified under the No Child Left Behind law. While this language has been in regulation since 2002, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit struck down the regulation in September, saying that it went too far. The U.S. Department of Education regulation allows uncertified candidates in alternative-route programs to teach for up to three years while they seek certification. If passed, the CR would supersede the Circuit Court’s decision.
Tags: appropriations, Congress, federal legislation, highly qualified teachers, NCLB/ESEA, Secondary, teachers