Byline: Erica Erwin
Jun. 17--Students aren't the only ones who need to spend some time in summer school.
Nine Erie School District teachers are in danger of being fired because they have not completed the necessary state requirements for professional development, Erie schools Superintendent Jim Barker said.
The state requires teachers to complete 180 hours of professional development every five years in order to keep their teaching certificates active. Teachers can do that through college courses, education-based workshops or a variety of other professional-development events.
If teachers do not comply with the mandate, known as Act 48, their certificates become inactive, making it illegal for those teachers to teach full time.
Teachers with inactive certificates are allowed to teach part time for 90 days. Their certificates are re-activated once the Act 48 requirements are met.
The district needs teachers committed to professional development, Barker said.
"Education today is truly a profession, and if you're not willing to commit to ongoing professional development, you're in serious trouble, trouble in terms of your ability to do your job," Barker said.
The district and the local Intermediate Unit -- the umbrella state agency that assists school districts with curriculum development and staff training, among other things -offer opportunities throughout the year for teachers to earn Act 48 credits.
Teachers also are encouraged to seek opportunities on their own through education-based workshops offered through organizations and colleges, for instance.
Current offerings posted on the IU's Web site include training in Windows, PowerPoint and Office XP, and classes with names like "Five Tools for Social Studies Instruction" and "Creating Stronger Opportunities to Learn Through the Internet."
In the past five years, about 11 teachers have been fired or have retired or resigned as a result of not completing the requirements, Barker said.
When the state keeps raising the bar for students' academic performance, it's only fair for teachers to keep up, Barker said.
"There are more expectations for everyone who works in public education today," he said. "No individual can be on cruise control until they retire. Those individuals will not survive."
Representatives from the Erie Education Association, the local teachers union, and the IU could not be reached for comment.
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