Dear Parent or Guardian:

The federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act defines new standards for teacher quality. Under NCLB, teachers must be licensed, have a bachelor’s degree, and demonstrate subject matter knowledge, either through a state test or by majoring in the subject in college. NCLB standards apply to the subject matter taught by teachers: a teacher may be qualified to teach one subject, but not another. With this in mind, we are doubling our efforts to make sure all teachers at our school are appropriately assigned to teach classes that reflect their degrees.

NCLB requires that parents/guardians of children enrolled in Title I schools be notified if their child has been taught for four consecutive weeks by a teacher who does not meet the federal standard.

If you have any questions regarding qualifications, please feel free to contact me. For additional information about the federal highly qualified teacher requirements and Massachusetts policies related to them, please visit the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s Web site at www.doe.mass.edu/nclb.

Sincerely yours,

Patricia Foskett
Principal