Education

eridani

(51,907 posts) Sat Oct 31, 2015, 02:41 AM Oct 2015

Alabama Teacher Of The Year Resigns After State Calls Her Unqualified

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/ann-marie-corgill-alabama-teacher-resigns

Alabama's reigning Teacher of the Year says she has resigned after state officials told her she's unqualified to teach in her fifth-grade classroom because of certification issues.

Veteran teacher Ann Marie Corgill said Alabama Department of Education officials recently informed her that she was not qualified despite her well-documented accomplishments. She said she grew tired of trying to prove herself, prompting her to submit a letter of resignation, dated Tuesday and obtained by Al.com. In the letter, Corgill cites her confusion.

"After 21 years of teaching in grades 1-6, I have no answers as to why this is a problem now, so instead of paying more fees, taking more tests and proving once again that I am qualified to teach, I am resigning," Corgill wrote.

Corgill has Class A and B certifications to teach primary school through third grade, according to certification records provided by The Alabama Department of Education. Corgill said she started this school year at Birmingham's Oliver Elementary School teaching second grade, but shortly after the semester began, she was moved to a fifth-grade classroom.

In a news release Thursday, the state Department of Education said it "did not determine Ms. Corgill was not qualified. However, when an inquiry was made, the department reported that her current teaching certificate covers primary grades through Grade 3. This does not carry with it a requirement for resignation."

3 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

Alabama Teacher Of The Year Resigns After State Calls Her Unqualified (Original Post) eridani Oct 2015 OP

Good for her Sherman A1 Oct 2015 #1

Teacher of the Year speaks: 'Wall of bureaucracy led to my resignation' (al.com) eppur_se_muova Oct 2015 #2

Certified does not always mean qualified. Hoppy Oct 2015 #3

Sherman A1

(38,958 posts)

1. Good for her

Reply to eridani (Original post)

Sat Oct 31, 2015, 02:56 AM

Oct 2015

in exposing these often ridiculous requirements, I am in hopes that she finds a good paying job elsewhere.

eppur_se_muova

(37,334 posts)

2. Teacher of the Year speaks: 'Wall of bureaucracy led to my resignation' (al.com)

Reply to eridani (Original post)

Sat Oct 31, 2015, 08:52 AM

Oct 2015

By Adam Ganucheau | aganucheau@al.com
Email the author | Follow on Twitter
on October 30, 2015 at 3:19 PM

Ann Marie Corgill, the 2014-2015 Alabama Teacher of the Year and 2015 National Teacher of the Year finalist who submitted a letter of resignation to Birmingham City Schools this week after confusion over her certification, said a "wall of bureaucracy" led to the resignation.

Corgill, a fifth-grade teacher at Oliver Elementary School, was informed by the district and the Alabama Department of Education last week that she did not meet federal requirements to continue teaching fifth grade at the school.

"The wall of bureaucracy I encountered trying to straighten all of this out with my employer led to my writing the letter," Corgill told AL.com in a written statement. "This experience has shown me the importance of teachers' voices in public education."

Oliver Elementary is a Title I school, meaning it receives federal funding and special assistance because it has high numbers or high percentages of children from low-income families. Title I schools exist to help ensure that those students meet state academic standards, according to the U.S. Department of Education website.

Because of the school's special distinction, teachers there must meet the federal requirements to be considered a "highly-qualified teacher" – a designation Corgill does not meet.
***
more: http://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2015/10/teacher_of_the_year_speaks_wal.html#incart_river_home

Hoppy

(3,595 posts)

3. Certified does not always mean qualified.

Reply to eridani (Original post)

Sat Oct 31, 2015, 09:31 AM

Oct 2015

She is certainly qualified.

Reply to this discussion