Bismarck, ND – Governor Hoeven has arranged a meeting on January 25th between state education officials and a U-S Education Department team to discuss the qualifications of North Dakota elementary school teachers under the No Child Left Behind Act.
The U-S Education Department says under N-C-L-B North Dakota's elementary school teachers need to take a test, present a portfolio, or have a Master's degree in elementary education to prove they are highly qualified. Hoeven says he disagrees and contacted the White House to ask for flexibility under the law to demonstrate the teachers are highly qualified. The department agreed to the meeting which will involve Janet Welk, the director of the Education Standards and Practices Board, Department of Public Instruction officials and Hoeven's Chief of Staff Bill Goetz.
South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming, and Montana are also facing the same issues as North Dakota on No Child Left Behind requirements for elementary school teachers. State education officials say they hope the meeting results in the department allowing for some flexibility in the law.