This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
In commenting on the Alternative Path to Teaching (APT) proposed by the Board of Education, Cynthia Phillips states her support is based upon the plan's "rigor" and compares it to the Alternative Route to Licensure.
The ARL program is much more "rigorous" and has specific requirements for up to six pedagogy classes and up to four teaching and learning methods classes. A detailed plan must be worked out with the teacher's principal, and bi-yearly progress reports must be submitted. Finally, teachers must pass a pedagogy test (PRAXIS) in order to get their certification. APT requires none of this.
Phillips states that "teachers … should be thrilled that APT requires well-meaning individuals who wish to become teachers to show knowledge and skill quickly or wash out of this demanding profession." So what of the students of these teachers who will quickly "wash out?" And there will be many, if teachers are not required to learn about classroom management and teaching methods. What will you say to the parents of a child in this classroom?
Just as there is more to being a surgeon than knowing anatomy, there is so much more to teaching than knowing the content. This proposal is insulting to skilled teachers. And it is bad for Utah's children.
Mark A. Besendorfer
Midvale