Charter Schools Seek More Leeway in Hiring Teachers

M.E.T.S. Charter School in Jersey City, N.J., focuses on math, technology and science, but its push to recruit teachers in these hard-to-staff subjects has drawn only a handful of resumes from certified candidates over the past year.

Its leaders are among many charter advocates fighting for a state proposal that would give high-performing charters more leeway to hire teachers and principals who lack traditional teacher preparation and state certification.

Opponents say this change would water down standards and hurt children’s instruction. But supporters predict a worsening teacher shortage in key subjects, especially in high schools, and say overly burdensome regulations keep talented scientists and others from bringing their expertise to classrooms.

Read more:  http://www.wsj.com/articles/charter-s ... iring-teachers-1485734389