Minn. House considers new ways to license teachers

Less than a week after U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan scolded Minnesota for not having more ways for talented people to become teachers, the state House Education Finance Committee is set to debate the issue.

Committee Chairman Rep. Patrick Garofalo, a Republican from Farmington, is sponsoring a bill to make it easier for people to get Minnesota teaching licenses.

Among other things, his bill would make it possible for a local applicant to get a license through an organization other than a Minnesota college or university, provided it was approved by the state.

It would also reduce the amount of required student teaching time from about 10 weeks to about five weeks. Both provisions would make it easier for Teach for America to expand its presence in the state.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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