Washington, D.C. (JULY 17, 2019) –– Louisiana State Superintendent of Education John White today testified at a joint hearing of the House Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education and the House Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Investment.
The hearing – “Educating our Educators: How Federal Policy Can Better Support Teachers and School Leaders” – focused on Title II of the Higher Education Act, which authorizes grants for improving teacher education programs, strengthening teacher recruitment efforts, and providing training for prospective teachers.
Louisiana was among a group of states working with support from the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) to transform educator preparation and ensure teachers are prepared to meet the needs of all learners from their first day in the classroom.
“We owe it to teachers and their students to prepare them in a professional manner and to declare them effective before they take a full-time job as classroom teachers," White said in prepared remarks.
Louisiana has been nationally recognized for its teacher preparation work, which in 2017 included the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education revamping state regulation to require all aspiring teachers in all universities to experience a yearlong residency under the tutelage of an expert mentor. White told committee members that revisions to Title II of the Higher Education Act could further support his state’s and others’ work in improving teacher preparation in areas like alternative certification, data collection and accountability and early childhood education.
“The Higher Education Act can best support such ambitions through requiring honest and clear reporting of the facts and through providing funds that incentivize plans for system-wide improvement,” White said.
Please click here to read White's full testimony and watch the clip below to learn more about Louisiana's Believe and Prepare program.
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The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) is a nonpartisan, nationwide, nonprofit organization of public officials who head departments of elementary and secondary education in the states, the District of Columbia, the Department of Defense Education Activity, Bureau of Indian Education, and five U.S. extra-state jurisdictions. CCSSO provides leadership, advocacy, and technical assistance on major educational issues. The Council seeks member consensus on major educational issues and expresses their views to civic and professional organizations, federal agencies, Congress, and the public.
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