New classical teaching certificate likened to school choice for teachers

A cheerful mid adult preschool or kindergarten teacher smiles as she teaches a group of children about the solar system. A little girl is playing with a solar system model.

Prospective teachers gained a new pathway to lead classrooms in Florida when the State Board of Education approved certificates for teachers in “classical schools” that do not require mastery of general knowledge, their subject area, professional skill, or demonstrated competence.

Citing teacher recruitment, retention, and preparation as priorities, the board adopted a framework for classical teacher certification during its meeting on July 24 in Orlando, acting on HB 1285 , the law signed this spring that also limits book challenges by parents without children in the district.

The Department of Education will grant these certificates if a teacher holds at least a bachelor’s degree, passes a background check, and is deemed suitable by the classical school to be hired.

Professional educator certificates, the main credential for Florida teaches, require proof of general and subject area mastery, which the department verifies through subject-area examinations. Other possibilities include showing a teaching certificate from another state.

Classical education certificates will last five years and are renewable. The rule puts an expectation on schools to provide professional training to staff. They can’t be used to gain jobs in regular public schools.

Florida classical schools provide an education model that emphasizes principles of moral character and civic virtue, according to the department. They often emphasize teaching Western Civilization — which focuses on white, Western European, and Christian historical figures, plus grammar, logic, and rhetoric.

There were 18 classical schools in nine districts Florida as of February, according to the legislature analysis of the law. Several are backed by Christian, conservative Hillsdale College in Michigan, according to the college’s website .

Teacher shortage

The state has been battling teacher shortages, with the Florida Education Association reporting more than 4,000 advertised instructional vacancies in Florida as of January.

The classical teaching certificate is one way the state is trying to combat the shortage, offering a wider pool of candidates for classical schools.

Expanding teacher certification pools is not a new concept for the department. A program started in 2022 enabled veterans who met criteria laid out by the state to obtain temporary teacher certificates. The program filled fewer than 40 vacancies in its first year, WFTS Tampa Bay reported. Applicants needed a passing score on subject area examinations, though.

Factors like teacher salary have contributed to teachers leaving the profession or choosing to educate students in another state. The current state budget included an increase to teacher pay, although Florida recently ranked second-to-last in average teacher pay nationwide, according to the National Education Association.

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Concerns of lowered standards

Chancellor of public schools Paul Burns called the certification a “new pathway” for classical schoolteachers. Opponents of the new certificate complained that it creates a “double standard” for students who face standardized tests and teachers who are not required to be tested on their mastery.

Esther Byrd, a board member and parent of children receiving a classical education, said she has heard “a little bit of chirping” about the certification reducing standards from “your typical teacher certificate.”

Burns replied by likening the new certificate to school choice options for parents and students.

“We know that choice and options for our students and families who are looking at schools has continued to increase and raise the bar for all of our schools and all of our students in Florida,” Burns said. “We actually see that replicated when we think about the innovative pathways that we have for teachers to access the classroom.”

Burns said, citing data reviewed by the department, that the difference between the pathway a teacher takes and success in the classroom is negligible; more important, he said, is coaching, mentoring, and access to a classroom and professional learning.

Jamie Tremaine, a teacher who spoke during public comment for the new certificate, objected.

“Students are expected to pass the [Florida Assessment of Student Thinking] state exams, seen as a general standard of learning. But this new policy will allow potential teachers to circumvent the general standard of entry for the profession,” Tremaine said. “What say you to a parent of a student who has not passed the FAST test and receives instruction from a teacher that has not been through rigorous testing themselves?”

Those tests are statewide standardized assessments in reading, writing, and math.

Jack Scharr, a parent and public-school teacher from Orange County, insisted the certificate represents a lowering of standards.

“I want my child’s physics teacher to be certified and demonstrate mastery in physics. I want them if they’re teaching math to show mastery in math. And it’s unthinkable to talk about accelerating and raising standards and then lowering them for teachers here,” Scharr said during public comment.

Diversity in classical schools

Grazie Christie, a board member, applauded the diversity she believes this program will bring to classical schools.

“We hear a lot about the values of diversity, and it seems to me that these extra pathways for teachers to enter the classroom are a real wonderful way of bringing diversity in the types of teachers, bringing their own life experience, different types of excellence into the classroom,” Christie said.

In recent years, at Gov. Ron DeSantis’ insistence, Florida schools have removed diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives in K-12 public education, as well as higher education.

Additional teacher topics

In other actions, the board approved an option for certified teachers to put their certificate on inactive status without penalty in the event that they take time away from the classroom.

“We certainly don’t want someone who is a highly qualified teacher who needs to take a break for whatever reason to then be discouraged or create extra roadblocks for them to go back into the teaching profession,” said Ben Gibson, chair of the board.

The board approved a rule change that allows teachers to obtain certificates if they’ve earned a 2.5 grade point average in their degree program, moving the standard down from 3.0.

Gibson said the changes mentioned above remove red tape and barriers for teachers.

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