Colorado regulations governing teachers fail to ensure that all students have effective teachers, according to a new report.
The National Council on Teacher Quality gave the state an overall grade of D-plus in its 2009 review of state laws, rules and regulations governing the teaching profession.
That is slightly better than the average of all states — a D — said Sandi Jacobs, vice president of the Washington, D.C.-based research and policy organization. Even the top-scoring state, Florida, received a C, with most states getting Ds or Fs.
“These are goals for reform, it is not surprising that states are not at the A level,” she added.
The report can help the Colorado Department of Education and schools that train teachers to look critically at the work they do, said Debora Scheffel, special assistant in literacy to Colorado Commissioner of Education Dwight D. Jones.
The report is based on a review of written documents, Scheffel said.
The organization found that Colorado’s teacher policies largely work against the nation’s goal of improving teacher quality at a time when Race to the Top, a $4.5 billion federal grant competition, has put unprecedented focus on education reform and teacher quality. Tom McGhee, The Denver Post and The Associated Press
