In a recent article for The Conversation, Lisa Starr (University of Lethbridge) argues that some of the new expedited teaching certificate pathways introduced in Alberta will have a detrimental effect on K–12 students. Starr writes that two of the four pathways—one created for tradespeople and one for skilled professionals—are problematic, as they assume that subject area knowledge and select courses are enough to be able to teach proficiently. The author discusses several situations from the US that demonstrate how requiring less teacher education has led to lower student achievement. “The irony created by fast-tracked teacher training and certification is that those future doctors and skilled trades workers, who we need as desperately as we need teachers, may never get to those professions,” writes Starr.
