This morning I ws looking at the Hickory paper and on the front page was an article about lateral entry. People who have lost their jobs are beginning to go into the teaching field while working on their teaching degree. I'm not sure how I feel about this. Of course, I'm sorry that they lost their job and there's always a shortage of teachers. Then I stop and think about most of us who have been to college first to get our degrees. I have to wonder if lateral entry is a good system. What is everyone's thoughts on this?

I think it undermines the concept of "highly qualified teachers". I mean isn't there anything to be said about pedagogy? I know an excellent lateral entry teacher, but I know a few others who aren't so excellent. Teaching is not something that just anybody can do successfully.

This is sort of a sore subject for me. Let me explain. I contacted the county office about reimbursing my tuition fees, they used to if you made and A in the course. However they told me the funds now go to pay for lateral entry teachers to get their degrees. This makes me very ill! The way I look at it is I went to school, knowing what I wanted to do, and now I am trying to better myself and my profession, and they won't help me with the expenses, however someone who has come to education in some cases just to have a job, gets the education for free. Does this seem fair? I don't think so!!!!!

I also disagree with the concept of lateral entry. I read in our paper that our county will be having a job fair and that lateral entry people will receive a sign on bonus.

I think that lateral entry undermines our profession. Can teachers decide to leave teaching and enter the medical profession using lateral entry? I don't think so! Lateral entry gives the assumption that any average Joe can do this job. It's almost as if this is saying "That's okay, you don't need the training or experience - we just need a warm body in the classroom!

Teachers will always have to fight to be regarded as professionals. It's not enough that our degrees speak for us. We continuously have to prove our worth to society!

I totally agree with Janie. Face it ladies, teachers are a commodity not gifts. I do not think it is fair to give lateral entry persons a bonus when we have qualified people who cannot get a job on the sub list because they cannot get a teaching position. But, who said life was fair?

I loved Janies response to Doctors. It is not fair, but listen the way teachers are paid, its no wonder we need to hire lateral entry teachers. If the pay was better, they could have more to pick from.

Amen!!! I think the pay (or should I say - lack of pay) runs most of our new teachers off. There are so many more professions that pay better than teaching and new graduates are figuring this out quickly. Can we blame them? I too believe that getting a bonus for lateral entry is not fair. Neither is paying lateral entry tuition. When I was growing up and wanting to be a teacher, I would have never guessed that there would be such a teacher shortage. I wonder if things will get better?

Shannon

I guess I have to support lateral entry because it got my husband a job, and I am enjoying the benefits of that. My husband's degree is in journalism, and he has a master's in English. He originally wanted to be a college teacher, but community colleges mainly hire part-timers, and you really need a doctorate for other colleges. He decided to teach high school, but of course wasn't certified. In his case, I feel that he is a highly qualified teacher, and not just because he's my husband! I know I had to go through education courses, but it annoyed me that we had to spend more money for him to take courses when he has a master's degree in the subject he's teaching! He received a little bit of money from the county, but not much.

However, there are some teachers out there who were hired on an emergency basis, and who have no idea how to teach. This hiring practice should be reconsidered.

It also upsets me that I spent five years in undergraduate and now two in graduate school to be a teacher and others can come in and teach without any of these classes. I also now that educational classes do not always make a good teacher. I didn't learn what it was all about until my first day/year in the classroom. Just because you have a degree in education doesn't mean you will be a great teacher or even a good teacher but it definately goes a long way in helping you.

I am sure there are some wonderful lateral entry teachers out there---but like many of you, I know that my teaching is greatly improved because of my training "in How To Teach". My brother was a lateral entry teacher for 3 weeks-----yes, 3 weeks! He is very intelligent, witty and a great guy-----but he was completely overwhelmed with the amount of work and juggling required from each of us each day. He could not believe the pace of the school day and the great differences of students who were in the same grade level----And he wasn't there long enough to meet the parents!
There's something to be said for going through a teaching program and gaining the knowledge and experience provided there. I wouldn't want to do it any other way.