Written Public Comment Submission Detail

Public Comment Details

Meeting
Commission Meeting - April 2021

Agenda Item
6B: Analysis of Bill

Name
Nicoleta Bateman

Organization
CSU San Marcos

Comments
April 12, 2021
Re: AB 437, Teacher credentialing, subject matter competence
Dear Marysol De La Torre-Escobedo,
On behalf of the Liberal Studies Department and the School of Education at CSU San Marcos, I would like to share with you and the Legislative Committee some feedback pertaining in particular to section 3 (iii) of AB 437. It states:
(iii) Successful completion of coursework at one or more regionally accredited institutions of higher education that addresses each of the domains of the subject matter requirements adopted by the commission in the content area of the credential pursuant to Section 44282, as verified by a commission-approved program of professional preparation.
We want to draw attention to the last phrase in particular, which states that the domains of the subject matter requirements in the content areas will be verified by “a commission- approved program of professional preparation.” We want to point out that professional preparation programs are not the ones currently verifying such subject matter requirements. Professional preparation programs are not authorized or qualified to review elementary subject matter for the Multiple Subject Waiver as it is now, and this should not change with partial waivers. This is the purview of content specialists. Elementary Subject Matter (ESM) Liberal Studies Programs, or other ESM approved programs, are qualified and approved to review course content for the purposes of meeting subject matter requirements, and this should not change. Applicants who decide to take coursework to meet partial ESM standard requirements will need to work with the existing ESM program for approved courses they can take. Furthermore, current ESM programs are in constant communication with Community Colleges to ensure that the content is met in lower division transfer courses, and this is important for facilitating transfer for students pursuing a teaching career. It is imperative that community colleges and CSU Liberal Studies/ESM programs are included in the implementation of this bill.
Thank you for considering our comments.
Sincerely,
Nicoleta Bateman Chair, Liberal Studies Department
Jocelyn Ahlers Coordinator, Integrated Teacher Education Program
Colette Magoon Academic Advisor, Liberal Studies
Maria Chiem Education Career Specialist, Project SUPPORT
David Espinoza Education Career Specialist, Project SUPPORT

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