Technology Education
Teacher Certification
A grassroots movement is growing among Technology Education teachers in Florida to alter the way in which these very specialized teachers are certified by the Department of Education. Of the more than 2,200 teachers currently teaching Technology Education programs in Florida, less than 700 have the state-issued credential.
Central to the issue of earning a Technology Education teacher certification is the vast range of specialized knowledge that is required to pass the current certification exam. Technology Education teachers, in order to earn their state-issued credential, must show technical knowledge of aerospace, construction, engineering, manufacturing, electronics, architecture, among other very technical technologies. This has resulted in an extremely high failure rate of teachers attempting to get their state credential. As Districts across the State vie to meet the highly qualified teacher requirements of NCLB, they are faced with increasing challenges to find teachers with Tech Ed teacher credentials or individuals with sufficient education or experience from the private sector to fill all of the teaching positions.
FTEA is currently arranging for a special session at the FACTE conference in July to address the issue of Technology Education teacher certification. Our intent is to formulate and reach concensus on a solution to this critical issue and to have our voice heard in Tallahassee. All FTEA members and other interested individuals are encouraged to attend FACTE this year and be a part of this reshaping of Technology Education teacher credentialing in Florida. If you've not already registered for the FACTE conference, please check out their website: www.facte.org