TEXAS - The Education Trust is out with a new report showing a big gap in teacher quality among Texas schools.
Heather Peske, with the Trust, says poor and primarily minority schools get the most UN-certified teachers, the most lower-paid rookie teachers, and have the most turnover. In Fort Worth 1 in 5 teachers of the high minority schools have fewer than 3 years teaching experience. That's twice the rate of novice teachers in more affluent Fort Worth Schools.
In Dallas, superintendent Dr. Michael Hinojosa says they're trying to fix that by giving a six thousand dollar stipend to experienced, successful teachers who move to low-performing schools.The Education Trust is launching a new website so parents can check out the number of uncertified, inexperienced, underpaid teachers in each school in the 50 school largest school districts.
“This is a travesty,” says the Rev. Kyev Tatum, president for Ministers for Education, a grassroots advocacy group for education reform. “This takes me back to the separate but equal mentality of the past. This is unacceptable in the 21st Century. Governor Rick Perry should do more for reform in Texas. Especially for poor kids who deserve better,” Tatum said.
For more information go to their website at http://www.theirfairshare.org/.
