Earning a master's in frustration

By Judith Forman, Globe Staff, 9/28/2003

Dan Mullaney was a 23-year-old chef on Cape Cod when he started thinking about teaching. He took classes part time while cooking, and in 1995 landed a job teaching chemistry at Walpole High School.

Mullaney, now 36, says he made the switch because he wanted to be in an environment that gave priority to learning and growing. But nine years later, as he pursues his master's degree under changing teacher certification regulations, he wonders why state education officials are making it confusing and frustrating for those who simply want to teach.

"I like my job and I like my career, but ultimately they are not making it easy for teachers to stay in the profession," said Mullaney. "Every time you turn around, something is changing. I want to do the right thing, but it's difficult."

Mullaney is one of scores of teachers across the state who are grappling with new regulations for professional teacher licenses. Under the state's old regulations, from 1994, a teacher could get a master's degree in any area of interest. But in 2001, the state Board of Education changed its regulations to require the degree come from a state-approved program and that at least half of the courses are in the student's specialty field.

Education officials say the change was made to shift the master's emphasis from teaching skills to subject content. The new regulations are aimed at ensuring students' academic success, said Carol Gilbert, director of educator preparation and training for the state Department of Education.

"We value teachers but really, the ultimate client is the student," said Gilbert. "This is all trying to make sure they get the best quality teachers."

The new regulations were passed in November 2000. To inform teachers of the change, the state held workshops at colleges, notified school superintendents, and posted information on the department's website, she said.

But teachers say the new regulations are somewhat arbitrary, and were poorly communicated through the ranks.

Because so many teachers were enrolled in master's programs that would not qualify under the new standards, state Education Commissioner David Driscoll in June issued an "accommodation" covering teachers who haved finished at least 15 credits toward a master's degree by Oct. 1. By the same date, this Wednesday, teachers also must return an application for a professional license and an affidavit to the state.

To get certified under the waiver, teachers must complete their graduate degrees by Oct. 1, 2005, and complete other requirements, such as logging three years' experience in the classroom.

Mullaney, who has 21 credits toward his master of arts in teaching physical sciences, probably will slide by under the waiver.

But he's not happy. Like many other teachers, he was met with silence or uncertainty when he tried to contact Education Department officials for clarification.

Jennifer Jones had the same problem. The sixth-grade teacher at Foxborough's Ahern Middle School was stuck in limbo last fall as she pursued her master's degree in instructional technology. After word spread that the Department of Education might not accept that type of degree for certification, many of her colleagues dropped out of the program.

Jones, who teaches math, science, and social studies, said she called and e-mailed the department for guidance, but could not get an answer. She took a gamble and stuck with the program. Jones has 24 credits, enough to meet the guidelines of the accommodation.

"I got the feeling they didn't want to talk to me because they didn't know what to tell me," she said.

With the changing regulations -- and budget-driven staffing reductions at the Education Department -- the certification division got backlogged, said spokeswoman Heidi Perlman. Late last year, phone lines were shut down so staff could concentrate on processing certifications.

"We just simply didn't have the manpower to deal with it," said Perlman. Phones at the call center are now open half-time, she said.

The Massachusetts Teachers Association has had to pick up the slack for the department's poor communication, said Nora Todd, a professional development specialist for the Boston-based union. The association sent out postcards to 21,000 of its 97,000 members to inform them of the certification changes.

Todd said she's still fielding 20 calls a day from confused teachers.

"People are frantic," she said. "In many cases, I can't help them. There's nothing I can do, except to say it's the wrong master's."

Mary Ann McKinnon, director of Bridgewater State College's School of Education and Allied Studies, wonders why the state makes teachers jump through so many hoops. She said DOE officials did not consider feedback from education professionals before crafting the new regulations.

Gilbert said that, with the new rules, the state is opening up the teaching profession to more people. In addition to securing an approved master's degree, teachers can choose one of five other certification options. For instance, those who have already completed a master's degree, like Brockton High School chemistry teacher Kristen Chiapperini, can take an approved 18-credit nondegree program to get a professional license.

Chiapperini, who has a master's degree in chemistry education from New York University, says that's not an option she can afford. Although she has six credits, Chiapperini said, it's too expensive to get the remaining 12.

Chiapperini said she applied for her first Massachusetts certification in 2001, when she moved from New York to take the job in Brockton. The state "kept losing my paperwork," she said. As a result, Chiapperini did not get her initial license until this year, excluding her from the accommodation because she'll lack three years of teaching experience in the state by the Oct. 1, 2005, deadline.

The state allows teachers five working years to get their professional certification after receiving an initial license, said Gilbert, who would not comment on individual cases. Teachers can apply for an extension.

Eventually, without professional certification, a teacher's job could be at risk. Chiapperini has no idea what she will do.

"This is a really big turn-off, and Massachusetts is not going to be attracting teachers," she said. "I love my job. I don't want to have to leave."