Madison Contreras and Caleb Kimbro

Writers

Escalating since the 1990s during Oklahoma’s teachers’ strike, the need for Emergency Teaching Certificates (ETC) increased by 35% just between the 2017-18 and 2018-19 school years.

An ETC allows a person to teach for two years without a state teaching license.

After the two years have concluded, the emergency certified teacher is required to earn his or her teaching license to continue the career.

While put into federal law in 1989, emergency teaching certificates weren’t actively put into use until 2010.

Throughout the last nine years, a 9,400% increase in the need of ETC’s has occurred, leading to a drastic change in schools.

Nine years ago, in 2010, just 32 ETC’s were issued.

Now, a record of 3,038 teachers have been issued throughout the past year, according to reportings by CNHI’s Capitol Bureau.

Of the nearly 3,000 emergency certified teachers employed during the 2018-19 school year in Oklahoma, only 12.5% have received their license to teach, according to Enid News & Eagle.

The average has drastically lowered, as three years prior to the 2018-19 school year, more than half of the emergency certified teachers employed achieved the requirements to become a licensed teacher.

Defying the status quo, Marlow Public Schools emergency certified teachers are working to earn their teaching license.

Establishing the importance of MPS teachers, superintendent George Coffman explained why emergency certified teachers are an important asset to Marlow.

“We’re going to continue to look for the very best candidates for our teaching positions, and sometimes the best candidates are emergency certified teachers,” said Coffman. “A lot of times, the emergency certified are the people who have put in the time and done the things they need to do to be the very best.”

Although 13% of teachers in Oklahoma were emergency certified in 2018, and the number is gradually rising, many still choose to traditionally earn their state teaching license.

Teaching licenses are credited to those who have completed education courses, a student teaching course and state-mandated teaching examinations.

This year, Marlow High School has had the opportunity to work with student teacher Shawn Hamock.

Hamock is currently attending Oklahoma State University to complete his Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Education degree.

The student teacher program, a portion of an education degree, consists of a week-long orientation at OSU, followed by fifteen weeks in an approved student teaching facility to gain in the field, student teaching experience.

Expressing why he did not pursue an emergency teaching certificate, agricultural science student teacher Hamock, under the teaching of AG teacher Derek Mitchell, described his drive to be a teacher and help students reach their goals.

“I just wanted to finish the way I started,” Hamock said. “My goal was to finish earning my license through school, and I wanted to complete my goal. I just miss helping kids achieve their goals.”

Pulling from her own experience as a student teacher, Assistant Superintendent Brenda Parker-Tillian explained the benefits that Hamock is obtaining for being a part of a student-teacher program.

“Being a student teacher from a student teacher program makes Shawn’s experience richer because he has a semester at Marlow to sharpen his craft in teaching,” said Parker. “He is going through on the job training program where he is working with students, in the field. You don’t have the luxury of having another certified teacher in the classroom when you have an ETC. With Hamock in this program, he has Mr. Mitchell pointing him in the right direction.”

As approximately 87% of teachers, including emergency certified, continue to stay in their line of profession, and students continue to aspire to become licensed teachers, the state of Oklahoma will see the outcome of their impact as the years advance.