Wednesday, September 06, 2006
Senate Hearing on AB 420
AB 420 is a bill introduced by Shirley Horton (R-78th) that would revise Education code 44280. It is currently being reviewed at the Senate. Basically, it would mandate that the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CCTC) set up alternative assessment guidelines for organizations to follow in determining a teacher's adequacy in preparation for teaching a language for which there is not existing or adequate examination. The bill also states
that the CCTC should give prioirity to organizations that have expertise in assessment of teachers' competency in Filipino language and culture.
A number of notices have come out on the web in emails and LISTSERVs encouraging Filipino-Americans , particularly those residing in California, to write their congressmen and senators to support passing of this legislation. Should this bill pass, the legislation may result in faster alternative ways of getting teachers credentialed to teach the Filipino language at our K-12 schools. We definitely need more qualified and licensed teachers so our children and other students can learn the Filipino language and appreciate our Philippine culture more.
However, others have warned that we should not lose sight of the effort to establish a CSET in Filipino.
The CSET is the California Single Subject Examination for Teachers. It is a standardized exam which determines a teacher's competency in a specific subject area. If one is interested in teaching a particular subject in California, this person should apply at the Department of Education (DOE) in Sacramento and see if s/he meets the the requirements for taking this test. When one subsequently pases the test, DOE gives that person the formal credential to teach a specific subject. Although there are CSET tests already in place for Korean, Hmong, Vietnamese, and other less commonly taught languages, it is unfortunate that we do not have a Filipino language test.
We give thanks and recognition to the groups spearheaded by the Filipino Educators Association of San Diego ( FILAMEDA ) are advocating for a Filipino CSET.
( Send comments/questions to: lpaz@ccsf.edu)
From The Philippine News July 6-12, 2005 issue
that the CCTC should give prioirity to organizations that have expertise in assessment of teachers' competency in Filipino language and culture.
A number of notices have come out on the web in emails and LISTSERVs encouraging Filipino-Americans , particularly those residing in California, to write their congressmen and senators to support passing of this legislation. Should this bill pass, the legislation may result in faster alternative ways of getting teachers credentialed to teach the Filipino language at our K-12 schools. We definitely need more qualified and licensed teachers so our children and other students can learn the Filipino language and appreciate our Philippine culture more.
However, others have warned that we should not lose sight of the effort to establish a CSET in Filipino.
The CSET is the California Single Subject Examination for Teachers. It is a standardized exam which determines a teacher's competency in a specific subject area. If one is interested in teaching a particular subject in California, this person should apply at the Department of Education (DOE) in Sacramento and see if s/he meets the the requirements for taking this test. When one subsequently pases the test, DOE gives that person the formal credential to teach a specific subject. Although there are CSET tests already in place for Korean, Hmong, Vietnamese, and other less commonly taught languages, it is unfortunate that we do not have a Filipino language test.
We give thanks and recognition to the groups spearheaded by the Filipino Educators Association of San Diego ( FILAMEDA ) are advocating for a Filipino CSET.
( Send comments/questions to: lpaz@ccsf.edu)
From The Philippine News July 6-12, 2005 issue
# posted by LittleManila : 4:01 PM
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