Tens of thousands of Texas teachers could be in jeopardy of losing their jobs if they aren't certified as "highly qualified."
The Texas Education Agency said the U.S. Department of Education cited the state for not requiring new teachers, primarily at the elementary level, to be tested according to revised federal requirements.
According to those requirements, teachers must be "highly qualified" in reading, math, writing, education and social studies. Most new teachers hired this year passed only a certification exam in a specific subject, according to the Dallas Morning News.
Teachers who do not meet those requirements are not allowed to be paid using federal Title I funds.
In further discussions between the TEA and the DOE, the department agreed that teachers are "highly qualified" if they teach only the subject in which they are certified.
The Morning News reports that as many as 30,000 new teachers may now have to take a competency test in order to keep their jobs under the new interpretation of the No Child Left Behind law.
The TEA is continuing to work out a resolution with the DOE.
