By Chelsea Vance | The Selma Times-Journal

The Alabama State Department of Education recently decided to allow non-certified teachers for some courses.

The decision will help address a teacher shortage in Alabama, according to ALSDE Public Information Manager Malissa Valdes-Hubert.

“One of the focuses of having this resolution was to the ability to have more career tech instructors,” Valdes-Hubert said. “It’s not limited to career tech instructors but that was definitely a part of the need when the school systems were speaking to us about it.”

The following minimum requirements must be met for non-certified adjunct instructors:

*Must hold at least a high school diploma or the equivalent.

*Must obtain background clearance through the Alabama State Department of Education as a classified applicant.

*May be employed for teaching fields other than early childhood education, elementary education, and areas of special education.

*May only be employed half-time or less and is not eligible for benefits.

*Must work under the guidance of a mentor who will be designated as the teacher of record.

*Must have appropriate business and industry certification in some career and tech education teaching fields.

Superintendent of Selma City Schools Dr. Angela Mangum said any non-certified teachers will be vetted thoroughly.

“We would scrutinize the application, resume and experiences of individuals to meet the state guidelines,” Mangum said. “We also have a set of questions that we have established that will filter their general understanding of how to teach children.”

Mangum believes the change will be an advantage and acknowledges that some positions are hard to fill.

“I think that the state has been very bold in taking the initiative to loosen some of the guidelines in terms of certification. Post-secondary institutions are not graduating math and science teachers,” Mangum said.

Superintendent of the Dallas County School Board Don Willingham is supportive of the resolution as well.

“As long as they are skilled in the subject that they are teaching and are qualified but have just not gone through certification, we can work with that,” Willingham said.

He said the county school system will continue to recruit certified teachers, but that it’s nice to have some flexibility.

“Some of our best teachers have been those who have not gone through the teacher certification program but are very knowledgeable in what they are teaching,” Willingham said. “Our priority is still to recruit highly qualified and certified employees in all areas.”