May teachers teach with an emergency certificate or temporary permit and still be considered highly qualified?
No. New teachers must meet their state’s definition of highly qualified in the subjects they are teaching at the time of hire, and full state certification is one of these requirements. Experienced teachers teaching under an emergency certificate or temporary permit have until the end of the 2005-06 school year to earn full state certification. Teachers who are part of an alternative certification program already have a bachelor’s degree and have demonstrated subject-matter competency. These teachers meet the definition of highly qualified and are given full state certification, under the condition that they will complete certain certification requirements in three years or less.
