Research has demonstrated that excellent teachers are the most important in-school factor contributing to student achievement.  The AFT believes that all children should be taught by staff who are well-prepared and highly qualified—teachers who know their subject matter and how to teach it, supported by trained paraprofessionals.

NCLB defines several routes for teachers and paraprofessionals to become highly qualified. In particular, veteran teachers may demonstrate their qualifications by taking a test or by meeting a "high, objective uniform state standard of evaluation" (HOUSSE).  The U.S. Department of Education has not required that all states offer this option, however, and many states have delayed the development of their HOUSSE plans, making it more difficult for teachers to meet the deadline set in the law to be "highly qualified."  For paraprofessionals, the response by states to develop alternative routes to demonstrate excellence has been haphazard, and lax monitoring by the U.S. Department of Education has left many paraprofessionals with a shortened time frame in which to meet the education requirements.

To address these issues, the AFT is pressing the U.S. Department of Education and Congress to require that all states create a rigorous HOUSSE and extend the deadline for teachers and paraprofessionals to demonstrate their qualifications in states that have not developed the HOUSSE or timely procedures for paraprofessionals.

Furthermore, to assure a high-quality workforce more must be done.  The AFT will continue to urge the Congress and the U.S. Department of Education to address staff quality issues in NCLB by:

• Requiring  states to develop high-caliber teacher induction systems to ensure that new teachers receive the support they need to provide effective instruction during their beginning years; 
• Requiring that all districts  provide ongoing, job specific professional development for paraprofessionals to ensure they maintain the skills necessary to work with students;
• Providing incentive grants to districts to develop peer assistance and review programs that focus on the improvement of staff knowledge and skills; 
• Providing incentives for local districts to develop compensation systems for teachers and paraprofessionals that have a competitive base pay and benefits for all and, when supported by both management and staff, provide opportunities for staff to improve their salary through the performance of additional responsibilities; and
• Requiring states to develop an accountability index for schools to ensure that high-need schools have the proper teaching and learning conditions and financial incentives in place to attract and retain high-quality staff.