Re: Calif. Physics Certification (YUK)

["Robert N. Rogers" <rrogers@stars.sfsu.edu>]

A quick comment re' the preparation of HS physics teachers in California via the
CSU.  In response to recent State mandates, in order to receive subject matter
certification (the responsibility of the Physics Department) we are now
requiring at least a BA in physics plus 3 semesters of chemistry (including
non-majors organic), a year of biology and a year of chemistry, plus an upper
division "capstone course" in laboratory instructional methods. The more
significant question is "Can we find students to finish that curriculum and then
go into HS teaching?"

Bob


> It seems as if I was needlessly disturbed about the quality of new
> Physics teachers in California. I stated that they would receive only 6
> hours of instruction before certification. Jean Beard, who heads up the
> Natural Science Education section of San Jose State University send me
> the following information:
>
> > The program...is from Cal Poly Pomona, called SCA---, for  
> > Southern CA - - .  It offers a sequence of Saturday courses.  Each   >course meets 3 Saturdays, and requires the preparation of lesson     >plans to teach some of the concepts.  The total package wi> >This will indeed allow them to be H.S. Physics tea
chers, along with   >whatever else they are credentialed to teach, apparently most often   >Biology.
> I am relieved. Seems the 45 hours of methods class that I took plus the
> hundreds of hours of supplemental workshops were not necessary to teach
> Physics in today's high school. All that is needed today is about 18
> hours.  
>
> I'm sure that Physics enrollments in California will soar. As will the
> failure rate. But it is PC to grant access to all. It is not
> psychologically correct to place students into programs were they will
> fail but I'm sure that the administrators will (1) change grades (2)
> pressure teachers to pass students (3) change course titles...Physics
> becomes a non-college bound class, Honors Physics becomes a minimalistic
> college bound class (they have to do MATH!!!) and AP Physics becomes the
> traditional physics course. NEWSPEAK.
>
> Ray Rogoway
> Independence High
> San Jose, CA (where quantity replaces quality)