Charter School Teachers

by Jason Baltis

Charter schools are a new and exciting way for your child to learn. One of the common misconceptions about charter schools is the level of qualifications of the teachers. ACEL Fresno is highly committed to offering its students the best teachers available. ACEL not only has high standards for its credentialed teachers, but also has specific guidelines that aid in finding teachers that meet the complete picture of education, enthusiasm and professionalism.

Similar to public schools, charter schools are required to have fully accredited teachers in all of the core subjects. These core subjects are considered college preparatory fundamentals and include: English language arts, math, science, history, social science and special education. Each of these teachers must meet the specific requirements of the California Education Code section 47605(I). This code states that the teacher must hold a credential in the subject that he or she is teaching, along with all of the licensing and regulations that a teacher in a non-charter school would have to hold.

Teachers in both the non-core and core subjects are subject to the state licensing requirements of California. They are also required to submit to a criminal background check. Teachers who do not have a valid California teaching credential must submit two sets of fingerprints to the California Department of Justice for a criminal record summary. ACEL carefully completes these steps to provide a safe environment for your children.

There are eight additional criteria that a teacher must possess to teach at ACEL. These criteria are listed on the charter at the ACEL Web site and include such things as having good classroom management skills and experience working with diverse youth. The additional criteria are unique to ACEL and were created to find the best teachers possible.

ACEL utilizes all of the requirements that teachers would meet at a public school and goes beyond these certifications by hiring professional teachers who have a firm commitment to the ACEL mission. ACEL is an exciting learning environment that utilizes both open-source curriculum and project-based learning. This type of teaching requires an outgoing personality to develop specific lesson plans that both teach and get your child ready for real world experiences.