Alabama Teacher of the Year Resigns: Told She "Is Not Qualified to Teach"

Ann Marie Corgill, winner of the 2014-2015 Alabama Teacher of the Year award, was recently informed by the Birmingham, AL school district that she is not qualified to teach.

More specifically, Corgill was informed by the district that she is not qualified to teach anything higher than 3rd grade in Alabama. Which does not make much sense. "At her previous job at Cherokee Bend Elementary, where Corgill was awarded 2014 Alabama Teacher of the Year, she taught fourth grade, which is outside the state's certification." If it wasn't a problem then, why is it a problem now?

Evidently it's because Oliver Elementary School is a Title 1 facility, which means that it receives federal funding. This means that in order to receive continue receiving federal money, teachers are required to have specific certifications in order to teach different grades. Why Corgill was moved from 2nd grade to 5th grade makes very little sense then, as according to the school's own regulations, she isn't qualified to teach it.

It's not a matter of quality. It's a matter of bureaucracy. Corgill could be the greatest teacher on the planet, but without proper certification, she can't teach. And the fact that she has holds National Board certification for teaching children up to age 12 doesn't matter. It's not a state certification.

The education system (among others) really seems to prefer localizing things. I had an issue where college credits would transfer because despite receiving national accreditation from a respected institute, my university's credits would transfer very few places because it was a regional accreditation. And Corgill's issue is just another way the education system is making things unreasonably hard for people to participate in education, whether receiving or giving.

"'After 21 years of teaching in grades 1-6 I have no answers as to why this is a problem now,' Corgill wrote, 'so instead of paying more fees, taking more tests, and proving once again that I am qualified to teach, I am resigning.'"

Which is understandable. An excellent teacher who is meets all qualification to teach a 2nd grade class should not be moved to a 5th grade class after the school year has already started if the school doesn't recognize her certification to teach the class they move her to.

So what do you think of the situation? Tells us your thoughts in the comments box below.