N.J. pushing plan to require better college grades from incoming teachers
Tuesday September 17, 2013, 7:35 PM
BY LESLIE BRODY
STAFF WRITER
The Record
Becoming a teacher would usually require a “B” average in college under a proposal being pushed by the New Jersey Department of Education.
Education Commissioner Chris Cerf raised this idea in June as part of a package of proposals to boost teacher quality, and his office sent districts a memo Tuesday that it’s seeking public comment until Nov. 15. The education board would vote whether to approve it after that.
Applicants now need a 2.5 grade-point average to get into a traditional teacher preparation program in New Jersey, and a 2.75 for a provisional license after completing training.
The proposal boosts the minimum to a 3.0 in both stages, but allows for exceptions when a candidate has a particularly strong mastery of content. Many universities already require a GPA of 3.0 to enter teacher preparation programs.
The proposal also requires that the pool of candidates in a college-based teacher-prep program have a 3.0 average in high school. Stating that minimum score for the pool of candidates – rather than each student – allows for some flexibility.
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