HR0010 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0010 LRB101 04756 MST 49765 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The Illinois Association of Regional Superintendents of Schools' (IARSS) educator shortage survey identified a widespread concern for both teacher shortages and substitute teacher shortages; and

WHEREAS, The report considers five key questions from the survey concerning a teacher shortage which include: difficulty with staffing, cancelled classes, frequency of candidate application, quality of applicants, and content shortage areas; and

WHEREAS, Teacher shortage concerns were more prominent in the rural districts of central Illinois, but substitute teacher shortage concerns were most evident for Southern Illinois districts; and

WHEREAS, edTPA takes away from the classroom experience, the most valid part of the student teaching process, and student teachers are already observed by no less than three educational professionals during classroom time; and

WHEREAS, Preparation for edTPA can take time away from the normal curriculum of a teacher and can detract from the overall student-teaching experience, shifting focus from learning to teaching to pass a test; and

WHEREAS, The edTPA may favor student teachers in some teaching placements; some sources indicate that inner-city schools with low-income students or highly diverse student populations may present challenges that make passing the edTPA more difficult; also, the faculty responsible for overseeing and supporting student teachers may also affect test scores; and

WHEREAS, On top of the cost of tuition, the basic skills exam, and other certification requirements, this is a costly, unproven, and restrictive exam administered by Pearson Education, Inc.; the fee for taking the edTPA is $300; and

WHEREAS, There is no research or evidence to support that edTPA is a reliable method for evaluating or choosing teacher candidates; and

WHEREAS, The exam is not scored by qualified teacher evaluators familiar with the teacher candidate; instead, Pearson Education, Inc. hires temporary workers at its own discretion to indirectly decide who receives teaching licenses; and

WHEREAS, Student teachers receive no compensation for hours they spend in the classroom and must also self-fund their participation in a teacher-certification program, which can present a significant burden; Pearson Education, Inc. is profiting from pre-service educators, many of whom will enter the profession in debt; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we encourage the State Board of Education to stop using edTPA as the teacher certification for licensure; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be presented to the State Superintendent, the Illinois State Board of Education, and Pearson Education.