Douglas seeks waiver on rules to hire teachers

By Berny Morson, Rocky Mountain News
May 11, 2006

The Douglas County school district is seeking a waiver from state teacher licensing rules in an effort to hire more teachers from industry.

The district also is seeking greater control over the college courses its teachers may count in renewing their licenses, which expire every five years.

Douglas County Superintendent Jim Christensen told the State Board of Education on Wednesday that if the rules are waived, the district should be judged by whether education improves.

The district's goal is to raise the number of students who score at the proficient or advanced level on state achievement tests to 90 percent, Christensen said.

"We know what works," he said.

Christensen said after the board meeting that only a few teachers would be hired under the waivers and would include people with hard-to-find skills, such as fluency in foreign languages.

The district also is seeking to streamline the process by which the state accredits districts, eliminating some of the paperwork, although not the on-site visits.

State board members were generally supportive. "This is a terrific innovation you're doing," said board member Jared Polis.

Christensen wants the waivers to take effect in the fall of 2007.