w-studies-teacher

Caroline Alphonso – Education reporter

(…) Teachers should be evaluated every five years to maintain their professional accreditation in an effort to ensure that educators are effective and competent in the classroom throughout their careers, a new report says.

The recommendation, contained in a report from an Alberta government-appointed task force and obtained by The Globe and Mail, will enrage the province’s teachers union and, if adopted, will raise questions about whether the model should be expanded across the country.

(…) Several jurisdictions, including New Zealand and Michigan, require teachers to renew their licences every five years based on assessments by principals and professional development requirements. But in Canada, public school teachers receive certificates for life from provinces after graduating from teacher education programs, and are not required to participate in regular professional development, although many do. The only way a certificate can be revoked is if there’s disciplinary action taken against a teacher.