J. MILLARD TAWES, Governor                     1411

No. 66
(House Joint Resolution 65)

House Joint Resolution requesting the State Board of Education to
expedite the study of the problems involved in the certification
of public school teachers in the State of Maryland and to make a
report of its findings to the General Assembly.

Whereas, The problems which have arisen in the certification of
public school teachers in the State have been pointedly emphasized
by recent press accounts of the denial by the Division of Certification
of the State Department of Education of the certification of a
teacher who had moved from a teaching position in Baltimore City
(which separately evaluates its teachers credentials) to a position in
Baltimore County; and

Whereas, The teacher involved was informed by the State that
she lacked 21 additional credits for certification, by the State, despite
the fact that she holds a master's degree in education, had taught
as a certified teacher in other states for five years and had been
highly recommended by her superiors in the Baltimore City schools;
and

Whereas, The State Department of Education issued to the
teacher a provisional certificate, which requires her to make up the
lacking credits in summer school or evening courses, and the action
taken has caused her a reduction in salary; and

Whereas, The teacher in question has announced that she will
take additional courses for a doctorate in education rather than the
additional credits required by the State and will resign from her
teaching position as the result of the action of the State Department
of Education; and

Whereas, The Division of Certification has stated that the teacher
failed to meet the State's minimum requirements for certification
as established in 1961, that the requirements for certification were
applied objectively in this case and that a subjective review of each
case would be impossible because the staff of four persons in the
Division is physically unable to do such a job; and

Whereas, The prevailing national teacher shortage may be al-
leviated in part by more realistic certification requirements which
would encourage competent college graduates, who are currently
employed in other fields, to consider teaching as a career; and

Whereas, Less rigid certification requirements, particularly with
regard to specific courses in professional education, may encourage
more teachers with successful experience in other states to teach in
Maryland, and

Whereas, The State Board of Education has appointed a special
Committee, with laymen in the majority, to study By-laws 610-618
which govern teacher certification in Maryland; now, therefore, be it