Do Teaching Certificates Actually Ensure Quality Education?

Even before the pandemic, numerous states struggled with a shortage of qualified teachers. One popular remedy has been to issue emergency teaching certifications. These certifications allow individuals without prior teaching experience or training to work as full-time teachers. In Pennsylvania, the number of emergency teaching permits now exceeds the number of teaching certificates granted to new college graduates.

This trend of using teachers who aren’t fully certified raises the question of whether the usual certification requirements actually ensure quality education.

Teaching certificates have long been considered a standard requirement for individuals seeking to enter the teaching profession. These certificates are typically obtained through completing an approved teacher education program. However, the increasing reliance on emergency teaching certifications raises questions about the role of certificates in ensuring quality education.

The trend toward emergency certification shows, at a minimum, that quality teaching is not solely dependent on possessing a certificate. Effective teaching requires a combination of skills, including subject matter expertise, classroom management, and the ability to engage and inspire students. In some cases, individuals without formal teaching certificates may possess these qualities, enabling them to be effective educators despite lacking the traditional credentials. To be effective long-term, our educational establishment needs to find a way to make the profession more open and attractive to these non-traditional teachers.