equipped to educate the children in
their classrooms.
A new licensing structure may not
sound like something teachers would
want. Many teachers opt for a K– 5 or
K– 6 license because it covers a large
span of grades—making them more
desirable to future employers. But eliminating the overlap should spur teachers
to be more thoughtful about the levels
of children they want to teach. At the
same time, it wouldn’t close the door on
teachers who are interested in pursuing
broader expertise; they could always
complete the coursework to obtain both
licenses.
Superintendents and principals may
resist restructuring because they want
the flexibility that the overlapping
licenses allow. Many principals move
teachers across grade levels to ensure
that their most effective teachers are
in grades that count for state tests and
accountability requirements. Children
in the early grades are then sometimes
left with weaker teachers who are
unable to provide the strong foundation
they need. Eliminating the overlap
could lead to more thoughtful decisions
on hiring teachers for the early grades,
which would increase the likelihood
that students get off to a good start.
The current structure seems to be built
on the way school buildings are run
instead of the way children develop. A
smarter approach would put children’s
learning and development first (Kauerz
& Howard, 2009).
© SUSIE FITZHUGH
child development. Prospective teachers
take two courses called Growth and
Learning. One course focuses on development of children from birth through
age 5 and how to understand children
in the context of family, culture, and
society. It also includes a field experience. The other course focuses on the
same topics as they relate to school-age
children.
taking a step forward by breaking its
K– 5 license into two different licenses—
one for prekindergarten through 4th
grade (P– 4) and one for grades 4–8.
The hope is that the new structure will
lead state universities to better align
their degree programs with the developmental stages of the students whom
teacher candidates will teach (Kauerz &
Howard, 2009).
Addressing the Problems
Promising models that address some
of these problems already exist. For
example, the early childhood prepa-
ration program at Rowan University
in New Jersey requires a significant
amount of content and methods
coursework coupled with courses on
curriculum integration, assessment, and
The early childhood teacher prepa-
ration program at the University of
Central Florida requires a course called
Teaching Science and Technology to
Young Children, in which teachers learn
to implement an interactive, discovery-
oriented science and technology cur-
riculum for young children. Similar
classes could be developed for other
subject areas.
Fair for Students,
Fair for Teachers
The current structure isn’t fair to new
teachers like Emily—nor is it fair to the
students they teach. No educator should
have to face a roomful of young children
without the knowledge and skills to
engage them and help them succeed.
Revamping teacher preparation and
licensure will be difficult, but state
policymakers must take on the challenge if they are serious about building
an effective system that ensures that
teachers in the early grades can lay the
