NY Regents Considering New Ways To Improve Teaching

By Dave Lucas

Albany, NY – The New York State Board of Regents is considering innovations to improve teaching. Capital District Bureau Chief Dave Lucas reports.

The board is considering a pilot program of alternatives to colleges for training future teachers:New requirements for incoming teachers to demonstrate knowledge of a subject and classroom skills that can be linked to effective instruction. The new options could include museums and cultural institutions, expanding the role that heretofore has been exclusively performed by education schools. The Regents will consider additional assessments for teachers who are two years into the job. Teachers could also take longer to earn a master's degree. The New York State Education Commissioner tells the New York Times that the changes in the state would allow New York to recruit more teachers and experiment with ways to get better teachers in high-needs schools. David Steiner's office did not immediately return calls for comment.